all filth proceedes I meane the heart Get the Lord Iesus to come in with his spirit to clense thine husband thy wife to wash them and make them undefiled to him selfe as his own spouse without spot or wrinkle of wilfull basenes Get him to clense that Augean stable that throughsayre of base thoughts the master wheele of your soule the will and affections the theefe that betrayes all and then the roote being pure so shall the branches bee Salomon aymes at this my son give mee thy heart and let thine eyes delight in my waies And why he addes for an whore is a deepe ditch and a strange woman is a narrow pit q. d. if thine heart be pure thine eyes and senses thy body and members shall follow and not delight in the false hiew of an harlot Who is he whom God loves surelye him who is upright in spirit such an one onely such shal be kept from her but the sinner shal be caught in her snares If the thoughts bee impure they will betray the body to the eyes eares and companie of the uncleane and Satan will play the Proctor soone bringing one uncleane person to another There is a contemplative filthines of the fancy and senses which the Lord compts the Adultery of the spirit by basenes of spirit within nourishing unloyall conceits inwarde dallyances capering thoughts and fancies of uncleannes both sleeping and waking and so set the doore opē to outward actuall defilement which although providence restreyne yet are odious to God and will break out in time Yet I would here speake with caution I know in the best unmarried or married there bee naturally planted these imaginary and Idëall uncleannesses steaming up from the fornace of concupiscence a naturall principle not alway subject to the law of grace it is a law of the members in a double sense a dye in graine but yet so long as it is abhorred opposed and quenched by all possible diligence it shall not be imputed provided that the meanes to subdue it bee not slighted But I speake of an heart permitted to it selfe without controll and bridle For when the doore standes loose upon the latch how soone may it be opened Crackte glasses we know laste not long they wayte but for the next knocke and then are gone Alas what thanke is it for a man not to bee uncleane for lacke of opportunity or because he was overruled for a time The religion of these tymes is come to this Suspect by men what you will so you can proove nothing what care they for giving occasions of never so much suspicion Is this thy honesty that because thou canst weary them in the court who accuse thee therfore thou art chast Nay because thou darest purge thy selfe by oath like a forsworne wretch therefore thou hast wyped every crumme of thy lips Is not thy conscience as a thousand witnesses nevertheles I tell thee thou hast thy brand in heaven already and perhappes upon earth too or else art next doore to it And what oddes is there betweene these two not to be approoved for chast or to be thought uncleane It s harde to say whether many men and women have lost their credit or their chastity sooner Luste if once it kindle as the sparkle will kindle to a great fire will soone snare us and bring foorth fruite unto death But if there be purenesse in the bent of the spirit and the sway of the soule tendes to Chastity the streames will easily become pure So much for the first Secondly there must be chastity of Prevention also That is a narrow survey of the cinque-ports of the soule by which traytors to Chastity arrive at the shore Preserve the in-lets of your Soule I meane the out warde senses eares eyes inward fancy and Idea's of evill closely and firmely and then the body will follow Still we must proceed by degrees The spirit lets in sin to the body by these conduits and Channels David sweetly prayeth set a doore before my lips O Lord so set a watch before my senses that there come in no vanity Lord not only leade mee not thy selfe into tentation but forestall all other tempters that I bee not led for thou preservest the soules of thy Saints and he whom thou lovest scapes them all which another at one time or other shall assuredly fall into It was Davids misery to cast his eye from the roofe of his house in an unwatchfull manner and there wanted not one to further the occasion So Sampson Those who loath the act will also abhorre the fomenters therof all extravagances of senses and sensuality all setting themselves to sale haunting of markets fayres night-metings wakes dancings and common festivals which with all the like occasions Alehouse hauntings or frequenting of forbidden and noted houses as give ayme to the fleshe to play her part All needlesse travailes and jorneyes without warrant among multituds of all sorts all Dina-like rovings gaddings about without due cause all loose carrying about the eyes through the aire of the world All gestures beckes aymes of an unchast heart soone appeare to such as are of like temper birds of a fether will flocke together Intemperate diet excesse of gaming 's delights pampering the flesh amorous books sonnets stage-playes effeminate disguizings arayings of one sexe in the others attire a thing censured by all writers both morrall and divine Iestings and unsavoury rotten communications allusions similitudes and discourses what are they but as bawdes and Pandars to uncleannes Drinking of hot inflaming wines or waters in an usuall distempered custome no infirmity of nature requiring what are they in bodies hot and lustfull of themselves save inflamings of lust and spurring of a running horse I say especially in such persons as neither make use of the ordinance nor yet abstaine from excesse of provocation Must not of necessity such sinfull plethory have a like vent And where there is no Chastity of prevention making men abstinent from promiscuous occasions is it like there will be Chastity of bodie like occasion being offered of the one as the other No doubtles a body desirous to be Chaste will also be very cautelous of meate drinke fashions softnes delicacy and pleasures which will be as oile to the flame and he who is not chast in the suburbes is not to be trusted in the city Dives in all his riot and luxuriousnesse must scape hard if he were not incontinent This argument I know is common I need not insist save onely for the custome of these daies which will needes separate meanes from endes and bee seene going onward to the Den and not seene to come back and yet maintaine it that they kept out This is to divide the things which God hath not separated I give to all who would shunne this plague the counsell belonging to it soone farre slowly Get from such occasions as soone goe from them as farre and
Christ be not the cover from the storme and raine sinne must needes be and although it be but a sorry one which will one day wet to the skin yet it must serve the whilst Subdue therefore thy soule with these terrors as Christ saith let them sinke deeply into thine heart It is thy selfe it serves to keepe thee from the pathes of death As our Saviour then when he bids watch tell us he saith it to the Disciples and to all so I wish that this watchword might reach to all none excepted even forward professors themselves I much feare this sin is rise among many even of such for profession cannot alone quit us of secret profanenes So neer is the flesh so sly is Satan so copious is a false heart of evasions that no sort of people is free There want not fearful examples at this day of each degree of men and women I need not silence that which all tongues jangle the ears of the good might tingle withal what debauched varlets there are of late brought forth from among theÌ„ who have crept in amongst the zealous servants of Christ and taken upon them to be the forwardest To conceale is now too late too late to say tell it not Gath for its all over the places about their dwelling One being reprooved for attempting the maides who came to his house to folly answered though I may not covet my neighbors maid yet for his owne maides or those that offred themselves he thought he might It s time now my brethren of of all sorts to cease striving to hold â—â—le in your palme it s rather time to apply corrasives The best way now is in taking notice of these to say they were among us they were not of us if they had they would not so fouly have gone out of us And yet were it not that I feare doing hurt I would adde that I must not nor dare finally to censure every owne as lost who is guilty of this sin but I know ten to one of these are hypocrites though for causes God may leave some odde person whose repentance he purposes to make as eminent as ever his sinne was and moreover to use this sinne in others as a forcible occasion to convert them from all sinne But of this after Of the hypocrites I say let him that is filthy be filthy still of the other the Lord give them grace with Achan in the midst of their reproach to give glory to God wofull creatures the whiles weltering in their misery from whom the unclean spirit seemed to bee cast out and they to have escaped the pollution of the world through lust but through their loosenesse the divell hath returned into their hearts and brought seven spirits with him worse then the former so that if that stronger man throw not out this strong the end of such will proove worse then the beginning Consider all such profession cannot dispence with you rather it shall make your sinne treble and heate hell seven times hotter If wee never found any other effect of the sinnes of our ignorance save shame and death what are wee like to finde for sinnes against knowledge Truly men are strangely impudent and hardned in these daies this makes me insist as I doe Feare not him who can destroy the body onely and not the soule but him who can cast both bodies and soules into hell I say feare him Get we our spirits truely moulded into this terrour of God! Those Corinthians pretended the liberty of the Gospell against the terror of the Law But how doth Paul answer them Surely by a fit instance of the Isralites in the wildernesse committing filthinesse at Peor Are you better then they had not they the word the ordinances the cloud the manna and rocke but God was never the better pleased with them for that I Their carcasses all fell and were made dung in the wildernesse Therefore deceive not your selves Be not you fornicators as they â— and were destroyed of the destroyer Their Angell of presence turn'd their destroyer for their uncleannesse If this bee all the priviledge of your bare profession let whose will venture but venture not yee well may some say wee would faine bee of Gods minde but our hearts are so giddy and slight in this point that wee cannot get them to bee seriously awed by Gods judgements I answer I shall referre it to the Exhortation following in the next Chapter in the meane time consider what hath beene said in this CHAP. XVII And last Conteyning the use of Exhortation with Counsells and Motives to preserve Chastity and avoid uncleannesse Vse 4 I Finish the whole use of the point with Exhortation to this effect that all who truely tremble at this judgement of God against Adulterers and fornicators doe preserve their vessells with as much holinesse and honour as is possible To all such as in the end of this point I shall touch belongs consolation but let it lie by a while untill thou be able to apply it to thy selfe by the experience of what I shall now say Wherefore I exhort all such be chaste and pure in body and spirit passing the whole time of their conversation here in holy prevention and caution against uncleannesse A sollemne duty to bring a cleane body to the marriage bedde to maintaine it so and bring it so to the grave But how will some say may this be effected I answer by observing three counsells and first to Abhorre somewhat Secondly to meditate upon somewhat Thirdly by practising Touching the first Abhorre somwhat within and somewhat without In the prosecution of which three if I shall haply trench upon any thing before touched through the neernesse of the argument let the reader consider that when I wrote that before upon the point of chastity I intended not the handling of this latter part of the verse but I hope I shall avoid any purposed repeatings of ought which the necessity of the order doth not inforce upon me for the avoiding of any interruption For the first of Abhorring First with David Abhorre thy selfe that inward originall corruption of nature the foment of this flame he beginnes at the right end of the staffe with that poison wherewith his mother had warmed him in her wombe Abhorring of some outward acts or penalties of this sinne may goe without any loathing of the fountaine Had it not beene saith David for my naturall staine I had never committed such an actuall abomination as this Alas as the feelde of a poore man vanishes in the Mappe of a whole towne so doth this evill of concupiscence vanish in most mens eie when they take a survey of sinne whereas this inward is the body and that which we se breaking out is but a member as it might be here a toe there a finger of defiled old Adam Till then the mother bee abhorred the daughter will never be renounced Put case thou couldest
hypocrites can teach thee It will intercept all thy succours of lust thy provision to fulfill thy lustes When the Court is pulled downe who needes to feare suires in it It will cause thee not morally but from a Principle of grace to shunne all meanes motives provocations and snares of uncleannes which the Devill shall straw in thy way That so the oile being gone the flames may vanish It shall change thy uncleane thoughts affections eyes eares into cleane and pure ones If thy harlot meet thee and say It is I thou shalt answer but I am not I not my selfe Another is become that in mee which my cursed selfe was wont to bee The signe is pulld downe the Alehouse is let to a man of trade no more harlots nor adulterers come there new Lords new Lawes all old things are done away behold all things are become new I am redeemed with a price not to be mine owne if my Lord and Master will endure lust if any accord betweene Christs body and an harlot aske him leave and I obey else I am not my owne Oh! this Grace shall bring thy lust to the horns of the Altar binde it thereto with cords cut the throate of it with the sacrificing knife of the Priest Thy Priest will teach thee to do that office very handsomely to let out the ranke blood of thy lust and the strength and sway which it bare in thee yea it shall drag thine uncleane heart to Golgotha and naile it to the crosse of thy Priest with the same nailes which nailed the body of Christ It is happier to find out those Implements Crosse blood nayles tombe and all then ever Helen was or any Popish relique-monger and to make use of them too to better end then at this daie that Popish Covent of Friats do who have hired those places of the Turke built Temples Altais and silver floores in honor of the Passion It shall cry in thy soule Oh lust I wil bee thy death oh Concupiscence I wil be thy destruction The sting of fin is death and the strength of lust is the law But thanks be to God in Iesus Christ who hath condemned sin in the flesh mortified it by the flesh of his holy body hat neither guilt nor dominion might prevaile Pursue the victory the Lord is with thee thou valiant man and in this thy strength fight and lin not while through thy Captaine both sin and luste die in thee Sixthly returne to the Lord with full bent of soule to renounce all cleaving to the flesh and to cleave to him without seperation That grace which hath killed lust will quicken the life of purenesse in thy soule it will indeed make thee a tâ—ue Pentient not only to renounce uncleanes but to embrace a Chaste spirit and live a Chaste life to returne to God in a contrary practice of unblameablenesse all thy daies so farre as weaknesse will permit As he tooke off from thy jawes the yoke of servitude so he shall make his owne joake easie and his burden light He shal bee as one that layeth meate before thee thou shalt be so preserved by the sweetnes of grace that all the sweetnesse of lust of adultery of lascivi usnes shall stinke before thee so that they shall never have hope to recover thee into their possession any more And what then remayneth but when lust knowes not what to doe with thee then thine eare be bored with Gods awle that so thou maist bee his servant and walke in purenesse and holines all thy daies The Lord blesse this maine Direction with all other unto thee and remember none but Christ can heale this sore And so much for the former branch of Counsell to them who are onely guilty of the sin I passe lastly to the other who have revolted from this Grace once obteyned Lastly therefore if thy uncleannes be yet of a deeper die as beeing a revolt from the Grace of God and the vow of thy spirituall baptisme once made then know the Cure is somewhat different from the former Here then Remember that the seed of God in his dyeth not Therefore if once God hath awakned thee out of this thy relapse and the dead sleep of security under it which if he love thee he will do by some three string'd whip or other which hee shall make for thee as once he did for those defilers of his Temple by some crosse or stirring terrors of the word in thy soule then take Davids course Beseech the Lord first that the despaire and extreame horror which an ill conscience sicke of a relapse might worke in thee through unbeleefe added to it may gratiously bee kept off and so thine heart may be stayd from utter departing from the living God upon feare that he is wholly departed from thee Secondly remember that the covenant of God cannot be repealed it comprehends thee when thou canst not it Therefore apply those mercies of old and be comforted Thirdly take heed lest Satan confound and oppresse thy spirit by the conscience of thy base revolting sinning against such mercies and snarling thy soule with so many successive evills as thou hast heaped upon one another without an heart to get out For its an easie thing to lose a mans spirit and selfe in the divells maze Fourthly with a penitent heart for thy trechery that thou shouldest kick up thy heele against former mercies and covenants behold that promise of which I formerly spake and apply it unto thy soule as thou art able knowing that whatsoever Satan hath to gainsay the Lord Iesus was made all sinne both of rebellion against and also revolt from God that thou mightst be his righteousnesse and recover it having lost it Fifthly let the affliction of thy soule so deeply cease upon thee till through mercy it have soaked into thee and pierced thee as deepe as thy sinne hath peirced God as the tent must go as deepe as the sore is festered and fetch out the bottome scurfe content not thy selfe with such an humbling as thy slight heart would admit For this is one attendant of this sinne to be light and wanton and not to bee able to bee serious Therefore set thine heart to it mocke not God make not the remedy worse then the disease that thou shouldest even be fetcht in againe by Satans clawes ere thy repentance is finished which were to unsettle the work of God in thee and worke thy heart to a despaire of recovery It hath beene the portion of many uncleane ones never to get a serious spirit If therefore thine heart be once downe hold it as if thou shouldst keepe corke under water and trust it not pray thus withdraw from me all objects of vanity and teach me thy law gratiously Arraigne accuse condemne thy selfe judge thy selfe lest God judge thee and till God raise thee be content to lye low beare the indignation of the Lord because thou hast sinned and be
the one a man whom present honour and favour with his Prince hath advanced beyond the ranke of his family or perhaps honour hath gone along with swifter pace toward him then with some other house who yet may be as honourable in times past and more ancient then they are presently though not with such titles if now the one match with the other shall present honour contest with such an one as inferiour No sure if the root be as good the match is not unequall Lastly in case of persecution for religion or of going voyages of hazard by sea to forreigne plantations in which cases strict equality is not to be mentioned now in such cases the woman being to flye or transplant needs the aid of a wise head or the man the helpe of a discreet woman they cannot match themselves in their due rankes as otherwise they might therefore looking at the maine point that is at religion and integrity of report they match as neere their condition as may be although it prove very much inferiour yet it is not to be counted a dishonourable marriage Master Fox in the story of Queene Maries persecution reports of a worthy religious Dutchesse of Norfolke which married to a godly Gentleman one Master Berty farre under a Dukes state with whom she fled the Land and in that most wearisome flight as it proved found him a most faithfull and loyall husband to the death So then if there be a generall proportion of aptnesse so that the disparity lye onely in a degree not in kinde it must not be censured all cannot lye under the Aequator under the same line and latitude some may admit many degrees off The truth is in this confusion of all things it s not to be expected that marriage should keepe quarter with exactnesse more then other occurrents of life in some cases we must abate and yeeld of rigour left we split all Men are growne to enhase their degree to an higher pitch then formerly and it will be hard to convince high stomacks of meanes or unequalnesse their ambition hath too high a pitch Those persons are fitter to observe this rule who are meane in their owne eyes and equall themselves to those of lower degree To leave them therefore with their great hearts and hopes let me yet yoke them with Pauls counsell Whatsoever is pure honest just of good report that ensue adhorre that which is base uncomely and absurd But if it appeare to the judicious that your carnall covetous reaches and aspiring spirits have exercised themselves in things too high for ambition state or worldly ends let the issue be what it may as commonly it is repenting I pronounce such matches to fall under this second rules censure they are unapt therefore dishonourable Vse 1 I come to the Vses of the point If the honour of marriages stand party in aptnesse of it then hence it appeares that it s no curiosity for any to regard aptnesse Men count this direction to be frivolous imagining that marriage hath a gift of it selfe either to finde equals or to make such as the old proverbe speakes of friends and to wash off at once all eye-sores nay it will be hard for such to fray away sorrow and so shall you say when you have tried One would have thought Pharaoh might easily have kept out frogs from his Privy-chamber but it would not be I dare promise none of the equallest mariages that they shall bee free but as for humours rashnesse base and by-respects they never did so finde it Those that catch up wives all at once suddenly must repent them at leasure Be instructed then to thinke no care sufficient in this kinde stay not till mistresse Experience convince you of your folly in condemning others but falling into the pit your selves So much for this first Vse 2 Secondly be admonished not to overweene your owne strength as thingking it sufficient to binde Bears as the Proverb is and to defray any unaptnesse whatsoever without trouble Oh saith one let but my turne be satisfied and feare not me if I have once pitcht my affection I am not so soon unsetled againe Alas you judge your selves by your present pangs which over-beare inferiour dislikes but who are weaker to digest inequality than such as thinke themselves wisest and strongest Many have said as you say If I may have state sufficient no bodily blemish shall trouble me Another If I can get a religious wife one hundred pounds will content me as well as three If I may marry one whom I love I care not for portion c. but alas poor green heads before a few yeares be over your heads when you have scummed off and licked up the upper sweet of your mariages then your thoughts will goe to work I have deserved portion and religion and beauty too and what not Then will your unstaid eye fasten upon others whom you see to exceed you in portion birth sweetnesse of nature feature and the like then your carnall part will lowre and vex at your lot and then Oh I might have been wiser and so you must either bite in all as ashamed of your choice or else utter your discontent to make your lives uncomfortable When you behold your parents to wax estranged your kindred aloofe your meanes decaying charge encreasing and the devill throwing in baits of such and such men and women so personable rich brought up then will it appeare upon wise tearms you have rejected the counsell of apt mariage and yet many fooles who are appointed to it cannot beware the second time but rush themselves into as unmeet matches as before if not worse Therefore acknowledge your weaknesse hearken no more to such Spokes-men as are apt to prompt you with wives of their owne fancying which is the ruine of many ridiculous men to take wives upon other mens trust ascribe not too much to your own wisdome rather thinke your selves of all others likest to be deceived by your eye or affections Say thus A man I am and but a man and nothing of a man is strange to me I am as like to snare my selfe and as unable to endure a snare as another therefore I will prevent it betimes I embrace Gods allowance as well to please my selfe with aptnesse as with religion God is the God of order as well as goodnesse Nothing hinders why other accomplishments may not be sought with grace so that be chiefe and it had need please well which must please ever or be an eye-sore for ever Surely if God give me my liberty I dare not snare my selfe And I see that as there are many wives who for want of religion are a snare so there are also many religious who for want of other accommodations make every veine in their husbands hearts to ake ere they die Thou art not made of brasse but of flesh as others are and hast affections equally disposed to the like distempers it s
it selfe alway destroyes the contrary and so providing that this twinne may live and die with them together Some dreame that old folkes are past love and foolishly impropriate it to the heate of youth but alas the anciently married if right may as ill want it as the young yea worst of all when old age hath prooved it to be sounde then may the marryed cease to love when they cease to live Therfore roll each stone to find this grace buy it whatsoever it cost fell it not whatsoever you may have for it lest you bee as he who solde his birthright which once gone coulde be no more recovered though sought with never so many teares And truly for the most part it s noted that when it once gets a fall it prooves almost impossible to soder it againe beeing as the native heate and moysture of the body which once spent they say is irrecoverable And so much of this second joint duty of the marryed Conjugall love CHAP. VIII Treating of the 3. Ioint duty of the Marryed viz. Chastitie THe third mutuall service of the married followeth to be spoken of to wit Chastity A dignitie helde by a dutie both the vertue of preserving it and they who are the preservers of it are honorable And while we are discoursing about this we seeme to be in the center in the chiefe of the honor of marriage Other honors are excellent additions and ornaments but this the being of it marriage delights in being quiet peaceable rich in credit but provided alway the mayne bee entire else they lose their value As it is with the rich their pleasures feasts companies and liberties please them will but how still presupposing the oote to be sound their stock and state to be unquestionable Every accidental of marriage is pleasant because chastity which makes it so is taken for granted It is the fairest floure the richest jâ—wel in the garland the crowne of marriage And well it may be so stiled for as a crowne is blasted if it have a peere and a competitor to amate iâ— so is this if the chastity therof be empaired The wante of other happinesses may in a sort be supplyed in this the wife is sheepish or shrewish or the like but the comfort is she is chast Wheras if she be unchast there is no comfort in it that she is fayre rich personable or well bred The peculiarity of Marriage standes in chastity I am desirous that my money my land my friende bee my peculiar ones and that no man may have a right in theÌ„ save my selfe yet rather then I should wante them I had rather have them in a community then want them altogether But chastity is such a peculiar of marriage that I rather chuse infintely to have no husband no wife at all then one that is unchast Many endowments so honor marriage when they are present as that yet being absent they disannull her not they make it a sad an uncheerfull one but undoe it not chastity is so reall so essentiall an attribute that the absence thereof quite destroyes the being thereof The institution of Christ is sufficient to approove this duty They two shal bee one slesh not two not three not joyned to this harlot that Adulterer Malachi tells us he who had spirit enough in him to have devized and bestowed â—â—â—ther elbowroome in this kinde yet foresaw that closenes and entirenesse of spirit such as the marryed couples ought to embrace cannot subsist in multitude the first number two are enough to grow into one flesh and love would vanish into lust basenes and brutish commonnes if the bridle were let loose into manifolde copulation Sin not therefore saith the Prophet against the husband and wife of thy flesh nay sin not against him that made them one flesh and onely them for that were to taxe his spirit and ordinance And wherin do rationall creatures differ from sensuall save in this honorable peculiarnesse and propriety which not the scriptures have revealed but the verie lawe of nature hath dictated and engraven in the minds of the very heathens who have censured promiscuous luste with as severe lawes as the word it selfe many of them I say especially in case of adultery As for that loosenes of the first times where in men tooke the liberty both of many wives and of those frequent divorces wherby they stayned their bodies with unbridled pollutious although the former were permitted in the first tymes of the churche the number wherof was scant being cooped within the narrow boundes of one family and the latter winked at by the Lord and his government for the unavoydable hardnes and rebellion of that Iewish nation yet neither was allowed of but abhorred as the tymes grew more enlightned so such commonnesse and vagrancy of lust grew to be restreyned till it was quite out of practice Hence that of the Apostle having disswaded marriage in times of danger and persecution Neverthelesse sayth he to avoyde Fornication let every man have his owne wife and woman her husband And in the rules given to Ministers the same Apostle foreseeing what a sad president the common sorte would snatch to themselves from the practice of the Minister precisely chargeth him that if he marry which he forbiddes not yet he should bee the husband of one wife Noting doubtlesse that all Chastity is not seene in abstinence from strange flesh but in the restreint of corruption from colouring over uncleannes with a marrying of many which is a double sin not onely mocke-adultery but a defiling of an ordinance with that pollution which it abhorres and sinne as it were by priviledge And let every man saith Paul learne how to preserve the vessel of his owne body in holines and honor marke how the one goes with the other why doth he presse it because it s the Temple of the holy Ghost and he who defiles the temple of God him will God destroy We neede go no further to prove this duty of Chastity to be the Crowne of marriage then that text keep your vessels in honor we know a like phrase of the Old Testament when a man shall lie which a mayde he having humbled her what 's that Surelye he hath takeÌ„ her honor of chastity away her credit is gone And fitly in this text the Apostle prooves marriage to be Honorable by the undefilednesse of the bed God saith he hath put honor upon it as carnall a thing as it seemes powre not you any contempt upon it by unchastenesse So Iacob saith in his dying words to Reuben Although thou art my strength and crowne by thy first borneship yet because thou went up to thy Fathers bed thou art unstable as water thy dignity is gone And the childe we know begotten thus is called a Base A marke of dishonor to Father and it selfe Salomon tells us that such an one gets himselfe a blurre which never will out
returne to them as slowly as possible thou canst If thine eie thy right hand or foote cause thee to offend pluck them out and cut them off not as Origen did carnally and cast them from thee but make thy selfe a spirituall Eunuch for the Kingdome of God and for chastity use all contrary meanes of holding under thy flesh and boxing it till it be black and blue to use Pauls word if thou wilt preserve thy vessell in honour yea count all too little If this counsell be meet for the married themselves who are under the remedy what shall be said to the unmarried Surely I say touch not pitch lest thou be defiled Make covenants with your eies with Iob remember our Saviours divinity beyond the Pharisees forefeele all your steps and passages put your knife to your throates if ye be given to your appetite and venture not upon forbidden dainties to try if they will surfet you But if after all meanes both of prevention and preservation of body and spirit from this tainte yet you feele your natures to recoile and concupiscence to want eares then heare that voice behind you saying marry and burne not But yet take this counsell with you still carry this rule of prevention with you into that estate lest you marry and burne too and so the disease will if not be worse for the remedy yet may prove never the better for it The third is the chastity of the bed The Apostle tells us here the bed is undefiled Surely as hee told his children at his death they should find their Kingdome so I may say of this It is as it s used and kept For its the great wisdome of God which hath so concealed our infirmity and covered it with honour that the bed should be honourable But it imports us so to keepe it then and that against a double infirmity The one of snaring the other of defiling us By snaring I meane defrauding each other by any meanes under any colors as when by discord and difference of mindes the body is disabled when the one party denies due benevolence to the other by pretended excuses to satisfie a base heart when religion and conscience or infirmity are falsely alledged to crosse the ordinance In this case let the Apostle overrule Let the husband and wife yield each to other c. refuse not the lawful and sober use of the remedy except when both in private consent in some extraordinary duty for some little season before some adde the preparation of the Sabbath rather I suppose from a pious heart then the warrant of the word although I wholly yeeld to the equity of that abstinence so there be no snare of a rule for hee that generally followes this light must not be snared by any rule except he have vowed it voluntarily and then it bindes in another kinde But I leave the decision of that to the wisdome of such as can discerne between expediency and inexpediencie lest Satan prevent us for we know his devices how he seekes to snare them that are weake against their intentions and under colour of a better purenesse hee seekes to breed a wearinesse and disdeine of the ordinance He is an uncleane spirit and cannot brooke that which holinesse hath invented to prevent sin Let such as are privy to this rebellion humble themselves and repent remembring that marriage takes off the propriety which each had before in himself and gives away the power of the body of each to other without contradiction And there is more in this then most will take notice of And some openly professe that they abhor this judgement being yet expressely grounded upon the letter of Scripture The second extreme is on the left hand when men abuse marriage to a defiling of themselves and under pretence of generall lawfulnesse runne into excesse This is as odious as the former It s not the wisdome of a Christian to chuse the uttermost brinke of the river to walke upon because it threatens slipping in nor of his liberty because it s allowed Our greatest offences are commonly about thinges lawfull when as we dare not attempt the unlawfull whereas religion is much more tried in the use of liberties allowed us And its strange under what sorry and thin covers the conscience of one will shroud it selfe when as once it hath cast off the love of closenesse halfe a loafe is better to a Libertine then no bread Whereas a sound spirit should thinke thus In this God tries me what mettall I am made of whether to betender of a command when I have the bridle laid upon my owne neck or to runne away with my uttermost liberty when I have some granted to me Doubtlesse hee who will take all that he can in liberties shewes he is but kept in by violence in commands and but for shame would desire Gods cordes were more slacke and suted to his lustes I speak because it might scarcesly be believed what basenes immoderatenesse and licentiousnesse growes in many even by the occasion of the former point of benevolence They will stretch it beyond the boundes of modesty and bring themselves into such a bad custome that a Beare robd of her whelpes may bee met with and stopped as easily as they crossed of their lascivious and luxurious appetite Some brutishly imagining that the very law of God forbidding carnall knowledge during the tearme forbidden was but a ceremony not grounded upon the perpetuall naturall absurdity of the action wherein they bewray themselves by their swinish appetites to have drowned the true dictamen of nature in themselves which most heathens themselves acknowledged Others are wholly ignorant of all purenesse and chastity in the demeanure of themselves each to other for though Isahac and Rebecca sported themselves yet doubtlesse in no base or uncomely manner very Philosophers and Politicians in their lawes made for the good of Commonwealthes led by no Scripture or religion yet for the preservation of health vigor and strength of body for the shunning of diseases occasioned by this as well as uncleane mixtures have set downe their judgements touching the modesty and mediocrity of marriage converse forbidding frequencie and licentious use of it I had rather expresse my selfe so under their person then in mine owne words knowing to what language he exposeth himselfe of scorners and profane people who doth but glance this way I say not as they say Plato and others once weekly or thrice monethly might bee a modell of convenience in this kinde for the greater part of number of mens bodies because I know there can bee no set rule for all persons seasons of marriage and varieties of bodies because variety of subjects causeth variety of rule But this I affirme that if heathens could rove at such a marke in the dimnesse of their light and all for the restraint of excesse I should thinke it rather meet that Christians especially in yeares who by
bitterly inveigh yea incense thine heart against some actuall filthinesse yet till this inward dunghill bee raked which is able to steame forth into an hundered Adulterers yea sinnes without number I say till this furnace kindled by hell as ready to defile thee againe when thou hast seemed to wash out many stains as they appeare with ten fold more wickednesse looke for no redresse of thy disease It s a running soare an issue of uncleannesse and must first bee dreined eare the passages drie up Theseely man who saw the streame of the River run very swift sat him downe upon the banke and slept thinking by that time all would bee run out and he might go over dry shod Poore soule for that river ran still ever did and ever will So is it here till God dry up or turne the current it can be no otherwise The due sight of this thy bent of heart thy frame of spirit alway inclining one way never to Purity first tiring thee as a traveller wurry thee as a dog pursue thee at heeles as the Avenger of blood did the Man slayer is one of the best waies to quit thee of this mischeefe Get an inward abhorring of thy selfe see what an huge heap of filth lies there marke how it s like the doore rolling the same way on his hinges and this wearisome sight may perhaps drinke up thy spirit and casheire all thy dawbings colours and excuses I say This may rase thy forte it selfe and shake it from the foundations and then the out works will soone yeelde and fall to the ground Looke upon this sin in that Glasse with that eye which Paul looked in when he beheld lust forbidden and if any thing this shall swallow thy ship wholly up in the quicksands of selfe-abhorring Say to thy soule thus were I washt with nitre yea scoured with sope yet the clothes I weare will defile mee as fast Alas I get nothing by all my outward abhorrings lust will not bee scared away with Holy-water I have a Bosome Orator within which will draw mee to lust twenty times one after another and pull mee faster to filth then all my owne or others disswasives can withdraw mee from it Lord then draine this flood and overflow teach mee to abhorre my selfe in dust and ashes if ever I get victory over my actuall corruptions Secondly abhorre thy inward Actuall thoughts of contemplative uncleannes Workmen proceeds according to an Idaea and platforme in his mind set before him in all his projects and attempts so doth the Adulterer The heart sayth our Saviour is the Adulterer all the mischiefe is hatcht there What contemplations of villany doth the forlorne stie of Thoughts nourish in many What uncleane man or woman is there whose thoughts do not plod and contrive their meetings the places the tyme manner and circumstances What a Thoroughfare of such scurfe is that defiled spirit of theirs which they carry about them Once a learned man was called a walking library But of these it may be sayd They are a walking Stewes It s as easie to pull their hearts out of their bellies as to alter and turne the course of these suggestions the Devill beeing the Presenter and the fancie the Receiver Mortify then and nip these thoughts which have the whole man at command Senses do not so much hurt to thoughts as thoughts to them and to the bodily performance The loathing of base vaine wanton and capering thoughts in this kind were halfe the cure These vapouring up from the heart to the brayne do so possesse and beleaguer it that the affections are fired and on thornes till they come to practise Now when the fewell is gone or lessened the fire must cease let originall corruption be once abhorred truly and this will follow Thinke that God speaks to thee in St. Iames his phrase clense your thoughts ye sinners and purge your hearts ye wantonly minded â— Howlong shall your uncleane thoughts abyde with and within you Know you not that Imaginations are the first moover of the whole frame of corrupt Nature If they moove must not all inferiour ones dance after their Pipe And tell mee when Satan fires the whole man whither doth he inject first his fireballes Is it not into the thoughts If he would tempt accuse terrifie how goes he to worke but by raysing up a commotion in the thoughts And in what part is hell fire kindled in the damned Is it not first in the thoughts Keep then thy thoughts with all diligence Forestall Satan and uncleannes by good thoughts chast pure contrary thoughts let the Chambers of the thoughts be prepossessed with these guests they will sparre the doore from such encroachers Especially if the pure spirit bee the usherer of them in by the word Thirdly abhorre all those cursed colors and mufflers of this sin which the fertile heart can devise abundantly to alleniate and lessen this sin The Heart is the forge of all these tricks and evasions If the Lord have called this sin so terrible let it bee enough to thee abhorre the Divells figleaves behold the filth of this skirte with detestation Blaunch it not over with thy Nature that worst of all the propension of thy constitution the strength of allurements the difficulty of preserving thy selfe the Generality of the sin the slighty opinion of the Multitude Abhorre these cordially or else the sin abides still under dispensation and connivence Then fourthly as touching other inward fomenters of lust of which I breefly speake because I have prevented my selfe in the point of Chastity before Abhorre thy covers and shelters hope of impunity hiding thine uncleannes under the shrowd of a married whore or of thy wicked friends and Abettors such as the Devill will rayse up to sticke to thee or any such as for a base bribe will ayde thee and keepe thee from open shame Such impunity being forecast in the minde is an hardnor of the Adulterer in his sin Abhorre a luskish lasy heart that delights in ease and ydlenes loath softnesse effeminatenes and impurity of spirit a throughfare for lust Also unarmednesse of the Soule lying open and exposed to occasion empty swept and garnisht fit for the next Devill that comes Abhorre rashnes and unstayednesse which will on the suddeine betray thee to the occasions of lust Renounce all selfconfidence and ventrousnes upon thy stength as rather scorning to be snared then humbly fearing snares for Alas poore worme who art thou if left to thy selfe Know this that lust will give small warning it comes as a torrent as the necessity of an armed man There is the same mettal in thee which is in others and they are soonest snared who feare least Beware of selflove which gives it selfe Allowance of the largest sise as loth to deny it selfe nothing which it covets and counting nothing too pretious no liberty or delight too deare for it selfe Abandon inconstancy and giddines of spirit which cannot
stand its owne ground nor rest in one place cleave to one taske For the bent of spirit to one settled object studie calling or lawfull object will divert the vaine minde from frothie fancies and ideas of uncleane thoughts companies and allurements A spirit whose banks runne full of employment will hardly be unsettled but holdes Satan at staves end Aske thy gadding roaving heart whither she will whence shee comes and what is her busines as watchmen do Roagues Examine the ground and warrant of thy journeys travailes errands and wandrings up and downe forsaking thy station and family Set thy kinfe to thy throate if thou bee an Athenian dayly lusting after new places companies pleasures meetings and delight And whatsoever savors of carnall and sensuall desire know it cannot but threaten mischeefe and dispossesse thee of thy watch I speake still of such as in appearance have given their names to Chirst even these for I judge none let every man judge himselfe have so sarre taken liberties to themselves in the brink that they have fallen into the water One of them once much pleasing himselfe in admiring the features and beauties of women and stroaking the cheekes of one with Wantonnesse was by his wiser neighbour warned therof saying These crimson faces so he cald them will sadly cost you the setting on one day and so it fell out soone after for such an aspersion was soone after cast upon him whether true from man or just with God as brought his hoary head to the grave with sorrow To teach all such gnats to beware how neere they fly to the candle lest they bee burnt And thus much for inward abhorrings As touching outward I will repeat nothing before said in the chastity of Prevention onely whatsoever occasion threatens any affront to the fort of Chastity and the preseving of the whole man in integrity and honour renounce it And so much for the first of the foure heads of counsell against this sinne of uncleannesse to wit Abhorring of somewhat be spoken The second counsell is to meditate of somewhat And whereof Surely of such things as might helpe to quash and quell lust and that partly concerning the sinne it selfe and partly the penalties thereof And both these specialls of Meditation must be attended with two properties in generall First that this meditation be wise and secondly that it bee deepe First I say wise for I would have this noted that some things are of that nature that some kind of musing of them is rather an incensing of the heart unto the sinne then any checking thereof As are all such evills as border upon the sensuall appetite and concupiscible faculty of which sort especially is this sinne of uncleannesse Many complaine that they muse much of the odiousnesse therof that so they might abhorre it But they finde it more and more to follow their hand and to snare their spirit And so the remedy proves much worse then the disease And it fares with such as it doth with two men at variance who put their quarrels to comprimise But when wise men should set them at one they fall on ripping up all circumstances of unkindnes offered each to other that they part worse enemies then they met and so make the wound incurable So here men meditate of the sensuall and carnall occurrents of this sinne their base meetings words gestures unchaste lookes and acts under pretence of a purpose more fully to detest and abhorre them But by this meane the divel casteth fire into the drie powder of their concupiscence and inflameth them to it the more The reason is because the sense and fleshly familiarity of the thoughts doe prevaile against the spirituall hatred thereof So it fares in other temptations of an hideous nature as Atheisticall thoughts against the Majesty of God or blasphemous thoughts against the Scriptures or the essence and Attributes of God the basenesse whereof the more we plod upon especially while Satans wild fire is in the spirit the more we are snared therewith Therefore in such cases as these the practice of Elisha to the servant of Jehoram is to be followed Wee must pray against the tenacity thereof and force our selves to handle such thoughts roughly at the doore and in no sort to give place to them as knowing their Masters feet is not farre behind them Tosse not thoughts off and on about passages which tickle the fancy and wind in deeplier into it then it can bee rid thereof yea though they were most irkesome to it But take up the sinne in the whole lumpe and bundle muse of the bitter roote whence it comes as David did in his Meditations Incense thy soule against the body of corruption whence it flowes that wherein thy Mother conceived thee and thence descend to the fruits of it as the wound which it leaves upon the conscence the wrath of God which it pulls upon it selfe the curse of it how it makes all the soile barren blastes and wastes the grace of God or the least shew of any Keepe it thus at staves end but tamper not much with pitch lest we be defiled Such unwise meditation is not water to quench but oile to encrease the flame Secondly let this meditation be deepe and solemne both about the properties and the penalties of this sinne Touching the former the first meditation about it is how spirituall a wickednesse it is especially under the Cospell It s like Absaloms incest commited shamelessely in the sight of the Sun before all Israel It doth not onely sin against morall light of the naturall conscience but also against the grace of God and the remedy offered therby For the grace of God hath appeared to all and teacheth them to denie all ungodlinesse and fleshly lusts and to live soberly godly and purely in this present world Davids adultery was a morall act but yet inseparable from spirituall wickednesse for he resisted conscience in point not of morall light onely as any heathen might doe but of grace and mercy from God teaching him to abhorre it Yea this very thing was the thing that made the Lord so severely punish it both then and after even because hee fought against his spirituall light embracing a lust and the sweet of a base heart with the losse of that sweet mercy of God which he had tasted Yea against that sweet communion with God which hee had formerly enjoyed both which hee knew would bee wasted hereby as also that hereby the spirit of God was displeased and vexed with this rebellion and the effects thereof and hâ—s conscience gulled downe and defiled with sensuality and security yea hardned by the deceitfulnesse of sinne And hereby the enemies of God were caused to blaspheme God his worship and the generation of the righteous For our better conceiving of this point in my judgement the most weighty of all to gaster a soule from such Abomination let us observe how the holy
Ghost hath described it Read and ponder that Heb. 3. 12. where the Apostle in effect tells us that this is the nature of all sinne committed against the light and it hath these degrees as the words doe expresse Take heed lest there be in any of you an evill heart of unbeleefe to depart from the living God but exhort one another lest you be hardned by the deceitfulnesse of sinne Marke first there is an evill heart of aversnesse from God and enmity or alienation from God in each child of old Adam Thus David confesseth himselfe guiltie hereof in committing Adultery Secondly this being unsuâ—dued in the soule by the word breaketh out into outward and morrall evills as ill humors in the body into soares and botches So saith our Saviour an evill man out of the evill treasure of his heart brings forth evill things for out of the heart proceed all such draffe that 's the nest and forge of them all Both these make the heart an evill heart Thirdly this evill heart and these evill workes become evill workes of unbefeefe That is whereas God hath ordeined a blessed remedy of pardon and clensing of both loe the love of an evill heart to her evill workes will not suffer it to parte with them but chuseth rather to forsake mercy it selfe They that embracelying vanities forsake their owne mercy And our Savior plainly This is the condemnation of the world that light came into the world But loved darknes rather then light because their workes were evill Iesus Christ receaved by faith would have destroyd such workes But men loving them and that darkenes which nourisht them more then light they added drunkennes to thirst that is unbeleefe to morral sins And so sins which at the first were but dipped in the colour of Nature beeing died in graine by contempt of light became spirituall evills consisting in a treacherous refusall of grace that it might nouzle it selfe in sin more and more which by embracing of grace it might have beene rid of So that this unbeleefe defending it selfe in the practise of darknesse causeth the soule to be guilty of horrible villany against the grace of God and that spirit of Christ which offreth it selfe to purge and wash it from sin Fourthly by this meanes there followes a Delusion and Defilemen of the soule by the sweetnes and deceitfullnesse of sin That is a Desertion of the soule wherby it s left by the just hand of God to the errour of her own way choyce to bee as it desired to bee so that it becomes of avoluntarily a necessarily seduced heart thinking evill to be good feeding upon ashes as a perverted appetite will do upon coales or chalke it suffers conscience to be blindfolded and baffled and the accusing power thereof to become a defiled power so that though it know sin to be sin as this of Adultery yet beeing luld asleepe upon Dalilas lap it feeles no sting but dreames of ease as Samson and David who differd not in this from Balaam save onely in this that the spirit susteind and reserved their judegments that they sinned not upon the last practicall understanding and choice of free will but by prevention and temptation But to their owne sense they had shaken off the spirit Fifthly from hence proceeds hardning of heart in the sin against the recourse and checks of conscience Thus David beeing once defiled and snared so that he could go neither backward nor forward he grew so hardned that he resolved upoÌ„ al those waies wherby his sin might be concealed extenuated defended and that with odious Circumstances which what was it save as much as in him lay to put off the spirit of God and to fulfill his lust providing that he might not be unsettled And lastly in some uncleane ones although the Elect cannot goe so farre hence proceeds a departing from the living God a disabling of the spirit from returning back to him again through an heart which cannot mourne relent repent so finally a powring foorth of the heart to all other sin without controll or restreint yea some go so farre herein that they fight not only against the revealing light of the spirit but against the spirit it selfe out of malice And what wonder if the restreyning power of the spirit be taken from such as have despised the saving power of it Now to gather up all into one how wofull an hazard doe all they run as play the uncleane beasts under the cleere light of the Gospel How do they lay the stumbling blocke of their owne iniquities before themselves For although I deny not a possibility of returning so long as the spirit is greeved onely except it be despited also yet who knoweth how farre he may go in his descent beeing not able to stop himselfe And as for the Elect how many beare themselves upon it till they proove errant hypocrites This Meditation therfore let all such ponder deeply who are given to slight this sin what God may do for ignorant ones as Paul speakes I say not though we see but few of these repent But for them that sin wilfully after light it s far worse A second object of meditation against this sin is the Peculiarnesse of it from other sins That of the Apostle is notable for this fly fornication why All other sins parte from the bodie this abides in it what 's that Other sins of wrath theft swearing the like abide not in but passe away from the instrument acting them I say not in guilt but in act of cleaving But this of uncleannesse as it leaves no lesse scarre in the Body then they rather more so it leaves a far greater and more loathsome stayne in the body causing it to bee a more yrkesome dwelling for the spirit of God to bee more loathsome to it selfe and beares marke in the open sight of others of it owne filthines If God then have set such a mark of this sin upon the bodie as upon no other and now much more then when Paul speakes if other sins in comparison are without but this within it others by the body out of the body this by et and in it that is it is a more reall and bodily sin requiring more of a sinner for the perfecting of it then others yea forfeiting a peece of the body in the committing of it how odious is it Againe if it bee a more fulsome vice and hardlier washtout as before hath beene said If it shut God out of his Temple yea out of Poarch and all I conclude it behooves all to beware lest they conceive that a more slight sin then others which God hath branded with more peculiarnesse then others I do not here speake of that loathsomnesse which followes the act of that before But I say The Lord loathes these leprous walles what should such a one have to doe with Praier Reading Hearing Sacraments whose lips eys
so few backsteps comming from thenceward would thinke any other save that there they were devoured And who would dare to hasard himself upon such a point as whether he should come backe from thaâ—pit from which its ten to one if any at all returne That heathen Philosopher Xenocrates may teach us wisedome herein who was a Stoick of most exact chaâ—tity and morallity He having read to his scholers deep Lectures of austerity and abstinence from all pleasures seeming to his Scholers to speak more then he had strength to performe was attempted by them what he was they got an harlot of exquisit beauty and laid her in his bed to provoke him to folly But he according to his rules abhorring the temptation answered them he would not buy repentance at so deere a rate Surely if he who had no more to lose save his morrall conscience and feared lest the forfeit thereof would prove so irrecoverable what should we Christians say who have our soules to lose what should it profit to winne the world and lose them or what shall bee given in exchange of them And having no hope of recovering repentance any more how should they tremble at so great a losse In one word this I say that this sinne hath a wofull spirituall giddinesse and drunkennesse annexed unto it disabling the sinner from laying it to heart except strange mercie prevent him so that as Salomon speakes in comparing the two sexes so may I say in comparing these with other sinners I have seene of them one of a thousand to repent but of this scarse one of a thousand It s the Lords course to give over these sinners to their haunt and custome It s said of Queene Tomyris that having overcome Cambyses a bloody Tyrant in battell and surpris'd his person she cut off his head and sous'd in a barrell of blood saying satiate thy selfe with that whereof thou hast beene alway so insatiable So saith the Lord to the Adulterers since fleshly pleasure hath beene that which thou hast alway so hunted after fill thy selfe with it for ever Split thy soule against the rocke and stone-wall of my seventh Command at which thou hast so stumbled let that grind thee in peeces This curse of God sealing up the heart of the Adulterer gives him over to his owne sinfull sweetnesse so that the surfet thereof doth so wast and embezell the spirit of such an one that he walkes up and down staggering in the drunken pleasure of his uncleannesse he is quite a sleepe as Jona under the hatches If any of Gods Marriners Ministers I meane cry out Arise thou Adulterer call upon God and pray if possiâ—ly this tempest of wrath may bee prevented Alas hee is as that fellow upon the top of the mast ready to topple into the Sea and yet neither awakes nor feares any danger Once I knew and still there bee some alive who will beare me witnesse a most oâ—ious Adulterer of seventy yeare old who having long consumed his strength with harlots as he in the Proverbs wasted himselfe and all at last being laid in a barne good enough for him for no man could endure the vermin and savour which came from his rotten body was rèquested thus Potter so was his forename call upon God he replyed with his ordinary oathes Pox and woundes is this a time to pray thus he spake at death All his life long the season of Praier and Repenting was not come And now at his death lo it s gone As he merrily sayd of Marriage either it s not yet time or past time Oh! its just with God to bereave such of all list to apprehend any sound notion of their misery they are held off from capablenesse to mourne after God and in a following deceipt of sin even to death I heard once an Oxford man of worthy Memory in a Sermon relate of two students of eminent parts in that Vniversity who were sunke in a brutish Custome of Tobacco and Sacke and then into a loathsome habite of uncleane Pleasures and in time grew into such a slavish Impotency of spirit in those waies that when Necessity urged them to returne to their Chambers they could not there rest till they had pitcht a new meeting and so another till in time they grew so enfeebled and past all sense of Sobriety that with their pipes and Pots at their mouthes they were faine to be had into their beddes and so miserably died Alas no wonder If drinke and riot alone can do it how much more when lust is added to it as a threefold cord not easily broken Both streames meeting in one channel to overflow the bankes This is that Arrow of God shot through the livor of all such uncleane ones to be so enthralled to their lust that all sap of the spirit is dried up and a kingdome of uncleannes set up in their hearts and bodies to carry them beyond all hope of repenting Muse of this seriously if thou wouldest roote up the love of lust and kindle a deadly fewd with it never to be razed out Touching the outward Penalties what should I say Or what can I adde to that I have already said of Gods judgments against this sin Looke to the former doctrine Onely I adde this Exhortation Suffer not thy selfe when thou readest the judgments of God against the Name body person of an uncleane wretch to passe away without Meditation till they have wrought thy heart to a due abhorring therof yet lest I might seeme to mention this point for nothing let me adde one outward Penalty to all the former and that is That even Repentance it selfe is not able wholly to wast off the staine of this sin from the Committers of it Such is the wounde that those men give to the Name of God his religion and truth do suffer so deadly by their meanes that God in justice suffers them to expiate it by an outlasting infamy This was Gods threat to David Thou hast made the Enemies of God to blaspheme therfore lo the sword shall never depart from thy house nor reproach from thy name That same text which shall most eternize thee for a man according to Gods heart shall againe crocke thee saying Save in the matter of Bathsheba That 's a back blow yet just for he thought his secret conveyance would cover all but he saw not this That the thing he had done displeased the Lord therfore he must feele it to his smart His repenting God knew but yet that must not serve to quit him of a worke of sorrow as before I noted He that comitteth folly with a woman is destitute of understanding his blot shall never goe out Courts of men absolve such from all aspersions but when they are white and fayre in them they are foule and blacke in Gods No time no concealment of witnesses no dwelling farre off no oaths of purging no bribes must ever looke to doe it when as Repentance cannot do it Who
way of promise follow this worke hard It belongs to the hopelesse not to such as turne this hope to a snare Beg of the Lord to turne a terrified heart into a melting one that it is which must mould an uncleane soule to a cleane and chast one no hammer can doe this mercy must dissolve it in the fornace of grace Lin not till thou feele that heart which hath beene drencht in the sweetnesse of lust to bee steept in bitternesse over head and eares for thy wounding the Lord of life and his Virgin-pure flesh to death by thy unclennesse Looke not upon other sinners thy selfe wert murderer sufficient of his sacred person thou soughtest to destroy his Godhead as well as his flesh if it had beene in the power of thy sinne though there had been no other sinner in the world thou hadst beene enough And shouldst thou not care for thy base lust sake to kill not a man onely an innocent Vrija but the person of the Sonne of God If this melting spirit be wrought in thee by the spirit of grace thou shalt behold him ' as pierced willingly and of his owne accord for thee who didst as little deserve it as Judas the Traytor but yet seeing thou hast a melting heart which he wanted and canst with Peter weepe bitterly it s a signe that the curse shall turne to a blessing yea thou shalt see God so ordering the matter for thee and Christ so giving up his soule to the speares point of wrath for thee that thine eie shall behold another sight that is an enwrapped hope of forgivenesse in this satisfaction of his and of life in his Resurrection so that now thine horror shall turne to hope And know it only this glimpse of Sun-shine in thy dungeon of feare can dissolve thy hard heart and prepare thee for pardon Thirdly let this hope rip up all the seames of thine uncleane heart and all that filth which lay hid in the entralls thereof never like to have come to light had not God revealed it and uncased thee Let I say this seed of hope discover that which an habituall love of thy sinne would have smothered for ever For this opening and ingenuous confessing of thy sinne will make way for further mercy It s none of thy worke but the spirit of grace that makes way for it Now a franke heart is put into thee to be as open as ever thou wert close before yea and to take as much paines with thy selfe how thou maist give glory to God in a full confession and turning up that cursed poake of falshood from the bottome pouring out all thy sinne as ever thou tookest care before to sweare thine heart to an hellish secrecy It s with thee as with a woman who hath many old peeces of gold and jewells lying by her which she is loth to forgoe although shee might thereby make a summe for the purchase of faire house and land yet perhaps rather then quite forgoe the purchase she will fetch them all and poure them downe upon the table So when hope of mercy offers it selfe oh the pearle thereof exceeding all petty shreds wil make thee freely disburden thy soule of whatsoever loads it thy most beloved lusts I speake not now of abandoning the habits of them that 's mortification following after but of the cleere intention and meaning of thy heart to abandon without any base hollownesse Oh! thou desirest now to spare God a labour of proclaiming thy sin before men and Angells and if it were meet as it is where Gods ordinance may prevaile thou wouldest chuse that place ratherest to shame thy selfe in where the solemne presence of God his Angels and Church are gathered together Still I speake with caution if thy sinne have broken out publiquely but if thou hast kept it secret thou art not tied to make thy self publique nor to take witnesse except thy hard heart require it to confesse to others for the breaking thereof the reason is because the way of Church-correction for open sins is one and the Evangelicall correction of the spirit of Christ in private is another But usually these sinnes are open and therefore openly to be proclaimed in confession as in the committing If mercy have toucht thee at the heart never so little it will worke in thee as Gods voice in the Whale when she vomited up Jona upon the drie ground thou shalt no more take care what become of thy lust so thou maist be rid of it nor who shame thee so thou be shamed and sinne have her due Thou takest more care how God may be honoured in the abhorring of thy rebellion how others may be flaited from the like how thine owne heart may be melted upon melting not how thou may maist scape in an whole skinne and lie hardened in thy stie of uncleannesse No rather shall litter and whelpes and all be raked together and cast to the dunghill I tell thee of a sollemne thing rarely seene yet I will not say I have not seene such a confessing spirit Ephraim had it when shee smote upon her thie the Publicant the Prodgall the Theefe on the Crosse and here and there as a berry left upon the bush I have seene such as uâ—fained Penitent but when I did so I never pleased my selfe with any object like it I was almost ravisht with it and tooke it as a reall marke of the Lords pardoning of it in heaven which was so performed on earth And good cause for what shouldst thou care to nourish that in thy selfe which thou purposest for ever to be divorced from Therefore here on Lord say thou comes the most tainted Adulterer that ever lived These were my first allurements to silthinesse such and such companies I haunted such baites for my lust I maintained so many base harlots married or single I clave unto Such were the places I frequented the filthie Sonnets I sang the musique dauncings revellings and wantonnesse I was defiled withall yea such and such were the colors whereupon I hardned my heart in sinne such fees such bribes such perjuries such friends in Courts and Proctors I corrupted with mony and in this confusion I had lien for ever had not mercy cast an eie upon me No day no Sabbath or season of worship came amisse no light of conscience could beare downe my sinne no shame of world no patience of thine long winking at me no good education no hope of my friends no terror by thy judgments could disswade I sinned against all Here therefore I uncase my selfe oh Lord Against thee thee Lord have I done this villany in it selfe morall in me spirituall and in an high degree I was ever tainted even from the womb and this my sinne is but one of a thousand which the forge of my heart hath sent forth If for this thou hadst drown'd me in perdition even in the act burying mee up in the bed of my lust thou hadst beene
Contracts Civill ones and no more unsafe matches for religious ones 33. Connivers onely at and not approovers of religon in their Yokefelowes taxcd 39. Comenders of religion in their wives for by ends reprooved ibid. Counsell for such as draw in an evill yoake Pag. 41. 1. Rip up thy state to God 2. Redâ—eme old errors and pray for pardon 3. Passe by pardonable faults 4. Fret not at thy Lot 5. Vtter not thy greivances easily 6. Justifie not thâ—ne owne sinnes by anothers ibi seq Continency a rare gift of God therefore to be sought for of him 49. No Curiosity to marry aptly 64. Corruption alway affects a contrariety to the Law of apt marrying 67. Contemners of equall marriage reprooved 69. Counsell to such as are already unaptly married 70. Contract and â—onsent of Parents in marriage handled 71. Consent of Parents necessary for marriage and why 71. ibid. Exceptions against the strict rule of Parents Consent in marriage 77. Childrens objections against Parents carelesnesse in their marriages answered 79. Counsell given them what to do in their supposed wrongs 80. Parents obstinate to Consent to be curbed 81. Question about Parents Consent answered 81. ibid. Cavills of such answered as plead for maintenance and respect from Parents whose consent they neglected 84. Dissembled and forced consent of Parents by children is sinfull 85. Halfe Consent of Parents or consent after contract is faulty 86. Contract of marriage in what sence here used 96. In what râ—spects such Contracts may be said to be essentiall 104. Contracts very antient and of generall use 105. Jewish Contracts what and how solemnized ibid. Act and performance of a solemne Contract how to be done 106. Disdainers of Contracts taxed 121. Contracted couples must prise their Contract 123. Speciall Counsell touching it 124. Cause of the unhappy and unprosperous estate of many Couples is the want of their joint Religion 137. Chastity the maine joint duty of marriage 163. Proofes of it 164. Amplification of the point 166. Reasons for it 1. Chastity is the main support of union 2. The deâ—ilement of each party defiles the whole marriage 3. God hath ordained one for one 4. It covers all other defects but is covered by no other endowments 5. It is the corner stone holding in all the building 6. Because it honours mariage in many respects 1. In the fruitfulâ—esse of the wombe 2. Blessing of legitimation 3. A curse is turned to a blessing hereby 167. to 171. Chastity to be preserved and in how many things it consists 172. Chastity of spirit necessary and why 172. 173. ibid. Chastity of prevention necessary wherein it consists why here urged 173. 174. 175. Chastity of Bed needfull heathen men shame Christians in this Two Extreames here to be avoyded ibid. 175. 176. 177. 178. Some marks to know moderation ibid. 178. Popish forced Chastity and affected abstinence from the benefit of the Bed compared 179. Inconvenience of both unjust abstinence and excesse of liberty compared ibid. Chastity of Body needfull what is meant thereby Exhortation thereto 180. 181. Consent between Couples a joynt duty and needfull 184. Reasons 1. by the experience both bad of such as want it and sweet of such as enjoy it 2. The pretiousnesse of it 3. It hath a divine instinct in it 4. It brings God into the Marriage 184. 185. 186. 178 188. The praise of consent 186. Consent stands in three things 1. Consent of Heart 2. Of speech 3. Of Life 188. 189. Consent exhorted unto and urged 200. What ought to be done by both after their differences with the conclusion of the point 201. 202. Cohabitation of Husband with Wife a necessary duty Many abuses of this kind taxed Humiliation to such 217. Reproach of seperaters 218. Conditions requisite in a Wife in the acting of Gods matters 286. Whether wives may give to Charitable uses or not 272. The mothers Consent in Marriage not absolutely required 81. Exhortation to Chastity to keepe our Vessels with holinesse and honour 354. Three counsels propounded To abhorre somewhat 1. Thine owne selfe 2. Thoughts of contemplative uncleanesse 3. All colours and excuses of it 4. All inward fomenters of it 5. All outward Temptations Counsell 2. To meditate of Somewhat 2. Properties of it 1. That it be wise 2. That it be deepe and serious About both the Properties and penalties of this sin First the Properties and they are three 1. the Spiritualues of this sin shewed in six steps or degrees 1. An evil heart 2. Evill works 3. Vnbeleife 4. Delusion and defilement 5. Hardnes of heart 6. Departing from the living God Secondly meditate of the peculiarnes of this sins evill The third thing that it seperates from God And from Communion through Excommunication if not inflicted yet deserved The spirit of God excommunicates him in the Court of his owne conscience Then secondly meditate on the penalty of this sinne 1. A giddinesse and drunken security disabling the sinner to lay it to his heart A wofull example of it from 354. to 368. Then secondly temporall penalties of it 369. The third Counsell to practise somewhat and that concernes either such as have been only guilty of it or else relapsed to it after conversion For the former they must practise 1. Due humiliation and abasement under the hand of God 2. They must gather hope out of the promise of God to pardon it 3. Glorifie God in the confession of it 4. Set before thine eies the Promise in 4. respects 5. Sue out the killing power of Christ to destroy lust 6. Returne to the Lord in chastity for ever Lastly such as have revolted to it againe must take counsell in divers particulars to 384. Encouragement to all undefiled ones 385. Magistrates both Civill and Ecclesiasticall to whom the censure of lust pertaines must be in Gods stead to judge and censure all uncleane persons 384. D. DIverters of their wives from Religion to other matters reprooved 39. Duties of Parents toward children unwisely suffered to linke themselves 78. Dissentions of religious couples the shame of profession 190. Difference in Couples wherein it stands 313. E. ENtrance into good marriage requires Marrying in the Lord and apt marrying in the Lord. 21. Exhortation to it in many branches 45. 46. 48. Error of the time and prejudice of outward complements must be abhorred by him who would marry in the Lord. 51. Exceptions against the generall rule of apt Marriage many 62. Exhortation to Parents not to faile their Children in the busines of their Marriage 95. Exhortation to all good couples to close together in Religion both inward as Faith and outward in Family worship and private 138. 141. 143. Exhortation to private intercourse with God 145. Exhortation to wives to be helpfull in their places 302. Encouragement to such 303. F. FAith the maine Duty for couples to joine in The infinite miseries of a married life for lacke of it 140. Family duties and private worship necessary for the married to
to reach in many things which a generall handling passeth over and satisfaction to a doubtfull minde is more easily given this way then by some other meanes of more waighty nature Each ordinance of God serving specially for that end which another doth not A poore star may in her use exceed the Sun when its darke and night season though the Sunne exceed all Starres in her light This was a third respect But above all other I considered that the wofull overflow of sinne and of Lust by name in this our age which reignes as in her element through disdaine or violation of the ordinance of marriage seemed to need some check and affront from heaven which might remaine as a witnesse against our debauchery and which might flait men out of their uncleannesse Unto this worke though I know my selfe the unfittest of many yet as one having more leasure then they as sometime a looker on may see what a gamester oversees I durst not wholly decline that taske so farre as this vice offered itselfe or came within the bounds of my Treatise The contempt of long light having begot those spirituall penalties of a secure unbeleeving impenitent heâ—rt with apostasie from the truth how should it bee otherwise but the spirit of grace must straiten it selfe exceedingly both in removing of many helpes and a fruitlesse living under such as remaine And what then must follow save a formall empty profession of that truth the power whereof is wofully wanting Now we know hypocrifie cannot long continue within her owne bounds but she must quickly discover her selfe to be openly profane When was hearing and worship in the memory of man accompanied with so much wickednesse or when had Popery bettery colour to traduce our Gospell for a doctrine of licentiousnesse And while men have leasure enough for every other thing who lookes at reforming of ill manners And how justly doth God leave men who will not be as they ought with Hazael to prove worse then they seemed What argues this that men living in a practice of drunkennesse and uncleannesse dare prease upon a Minister of Christ for comfort to their soules as imagining it to belong to them Is it not a signe of a spirit of giddinesse reigning in the world out of deepe doting upon their prayers and hypocriticall worship Hath such a Baalamish conscience ever appeared and so commonly as now it doth in all places Dare Usury drunkennesse covetousnesse swearing which are more infamous and hated openly proclaime their shame and doe we thinke that more secret sinnes which love the darke are not much more generally practised as sodomy fornication and wantonnesse For which sake the wrath of God justly comes upon the children of disobedience And this fourth was my strongest reason Now then as my endeavours want not due motives so it lyes in thee for whose sake I have written to look to thy selfe lest it bee undertaken in vaine If there be little hope that my Physicke not mine but Gods will worke any great Cure yet I wish it may prove preventing to such as yet remaine untainted What the successe is like to be lyes not in mee nor thee to determine At least this I desire that they who are entred or are to enter the estate of Marriage may find these rules somwhat advantagious to further them in their choice or to guide them in their course I shall bee happy in my designe if either of these be obtained to the effecting whereof I commend all to his grace who hath by his providence brought this Treatise to an end both for mee to publish and for thee to peruse Thine in the Lord D. R. A Table describing the severall Contents of the Chapters of this Treatise and the Appendix thereto Chapter 1. COntaines the Analyse of the Text The first point handled viz. Marriage is honourable Chap. 2. More full Explication of the specialls in which the honour of Marriage consists being the ground of the Treatise ensuing viz. in entrance and continuance Entrance first that is Marrying in the Lord handled Chap. 3. The second requisite unto a good Entrance handled viz. Aptnesse and Sutablenesse Chap. 4. A first digression Touching Consent of Parents with sundry Questions and Objections answered Chap. 5. A second Digression touching a Contract what it is and sundry Quaeres about it answered and resolved Chap. 6. Returne to the first Argument The second part of the Marriage honour to be preserved to wâ—t in the Married condition and that both generall and speciall in generall by some mutuall Duties concerning them both Foure of them named The first handled viz. Ioint consent in Religion Chap. 7. The second joynt Duty of married couples handled to wit Conjugall love Chap. 8. Treateth of the third joint Duty of the Married viz. Chastity Chap. 9. Containeth the fourth and last Dutie of jointnesse in Marriage viz. Consent Chap. 10. Proceeds to the personall offices of either partie And first of the Husband Three severall duties named The first of them handled viz. That he be a man of Vnderstanding Chap. 11 Goes on to the second personall Dutie of the Husband to wit Providence Chap. 12. Treateth of the third and last speciall duty of the Husband viz. Giving Honour or Respectivenesse to the Wife Chap. 13. Handleth the second sort of speciall Duties to wit of the Wife Three of them named The first of them handled viz. Subjection to her Husband Chap. 14. Proceeds to the second Peculiar Duty of the Wife viz. Helpfulnesse Chap. 15. Treateth of the third and last Duty of the Wife which is Gracefulnesse wherewith the former Vse of Exhortation to honour Marriage is concluded Two other uses of the point added and so the whole Treatise finished Chap. 16. Is an Appendix to the Treatise Gods judgements against the defilers of Marriage terrible The point handled Reasons added A Question answered for explication of the Doctrine Some Vses Of Terror Admonition Chap. 17. The maine Vse of Exhortation to ensue Chastity Sundry meanes and counsels propounded at large And so a conclusion of the whole Book The end of the Contents of the Chapters Matrimoniall Honour OR A TREATISE OF MARRIAGE HEBREVVS 13. 5. Marriage is honourable and the bed undefiled but Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge CHAP. I. The Analyse of the Text. The first point handled That Marriage is honourable WHAT the peculiar aime of Saint Paul in this Epistle might be in the enterlacing of a solemn praise of marriage betweene the fourth and the sixt verse of this Chapter which are of another garbe and nature may perhaps seeme questionable to a Reader not observant of the circumstances of times and persons Sure it is that the Apostles scope is very orderly and familiar For having in the former Chapter propounded the Doctrine of justification in the causes thereof both matter forme and having also very effectually built thereon that great exhortation to beleeve and to live by faith In the
is a lesser degree of grace under this onely appearing in the seed tender and weake and that is of such as although they reach not so farre yet have their eye toward this bridegroome counting him one of ten thousand comparing selves with such as are married to him thinke themselves far inferiour wish their case were so happy abhorre their own treachery count the feet of such beautifull as wooe them to Christ thinke highly of the offer love to be such friends of the Lord Iesus and children of his Bridechamber full of tears affections and desires after it Even these are not to be excluded neither there is hope of such that they may come to be married to Christ in due time therefore it were unequall that for meere lacke of time and training they should be rejected rather if better faile in ordinary providence there being sufficient ground to hope that their little is in truth I dare not deny but a contract with such may be lawfull and the Lord may cover defects in mercy especially if the more forward party be industrious to improve a little to a greater measure in the other if the weaker party be teachable and in either of both there be a selfe-denying heart if God crosse their hopes to lye downe meekely at his feet humbled for sin the cause thereof and patiently taking up and bearing their crosse till God amend it By all this it appeares that Marrying in the Lord requires good consideration and that they who so marry have laid the foundation of future honour beforehand And who doubts but it had need be so for what hope is there that they who never sought it before should ever light upon it after Honour requires good breeding and it is a stud which except it subsist upon a good ground-cell will soone lye in the dust Rash and sudden attempts in this kinde doe but make way for shame and reproach onely marrying in the Lord prepares the soule for the worke it hath her tooles in readinesse to fall to the trade whereas the contrary is still to seek yea the very method of the Apostle in this Epistle shewes no lesse for he speakes of no marriage businesse before he have fully opened the doctrine of faith he layes that for the bottome and then comes in and tels such their Marriage is honourable Faith then is the hand and wheele which must frame a vessell for honour prepared as for all other so for this worke of marriage And in truth as it is all Religion upon point so it is the marriage ring which makes the soule one with the Lord and this ring is beset with many rich jewels all of them serving for the honour that is the well carrying and discharge of marriage duties One jewell is humility and selfe-denyall whereby the heart is tamed and humbled to this worke with all subjection and freed from that rudenesse and rebellion of spirit which makes it fit for nothing but it owne will and ends but this grace levels it to the obedience of this ordinance Another jewell is peace whereby the soule is so calmed and pacified within it selfe in the point of pardon and Gods favour that it can beare any affronts even as the shooes or brasse boots of the Souldier can walke upon rocks or pikes and feele no hurt so an heart well a paid in the Lord is calme and able to cleare the coast of all distempers and to goe through discontents and crosses such as an unquiet spirit cannot A third is purity which cleanseth the soule of many bad humours very unequall for marriage selfe-love pride disdaine wrath heart-burning jealousies and conceits and makes a man much fitter for marriage A fourth the last which I will name is righteousnesse that is the fellowship with Christs holy nature by which the soule partakes the properties of Christ qualifying it with wisedome influence strength meeknesse patience holinesse cheerfulnesse long-suffering and compassion which graces as they make him a meet head and husband for the Church so they make married couples meet heads and helpers for each other Faith I say doth draw from Christ all such abilities and graces as may prepare the soule to all the services which the marriage estate cals for Even as the spokes or staves of the wheele strengthen it for the good motion of it so doth faith strengthen this great master-wheele of conversation which is Marriage Reas 2 Againe except the honour of Marriage be forelaid in the entrance when the minde is free and impartiall how should it be like to be provided for in marriage it selfe Alas marriage hath her handsful of trial what grace is already wrought in the soule marriage will finde a gracious heart work enough at the best for it iâ— given to exercise grace It is not given to worke grace without singular mercy doe occasion it but to exerciâ—e it for what abundance of other distractions doe there fall out in this estate which as the Apostle tels us keepe off the soule from sitting close and comely to God The necessity of marriage-occasions are such as compell the parties each to please other in the matters of this life So that except single persons have well bethought themselves and fitted themselves with a stocke to live upon they will finde it an hard thing to act a true part on this stage upon the sudden rather they are like to finde except God alter it marriage to pul them from God to carry their spirits to worldlinesse unsetlednesse cares feares temptations lusts sometimes on the right hand by baits to carnall ease and jollity and otherwhiles on the left to snares and distempered passions of anger and impatience neither of which extremity favours religion but kils and damps it taking up all the time and leasure of the soul from attending the best things or at lest causing it to attend them lesser as good never a whit as we say as never the better Reas 3 Besides these reasons what hope have we that when we forsake Gods way he will be found of us in ours How just is it for him to forsake us and give us over to our owne by-ends and respects in our marriages and to suffer us to defile our selves more and more that as we entred badly so we should live worse and end worst of all As Paul saith The wicked waxe worse and worse deceiving and being deceived so may the Lord plague ungodly marriages by themselves and scourge them with their owne whip so that the husband should be deceived with the bad qualities of the wife and she by his one defiling the other more and neither doing any good to the other Wee see it thus daily uncleane men doe but teach their wives their trade that they might match them in their kinde carnall proud and bad wives draw their husbands to the like evils one must please another by concurring with
said the parents of Sampson but thou must needs goe among the uncircumcised Vow it that if God will betrust thee with one that is religious though another should be laid against her yet thy load-stone would draw the former Fiftly adde hereto the advice of the most judicious and impartiall friends that thou canft come by for though two eyes are too few yet he that will advise in this case must onely judge with one that is a single eye and looke but one way Such is the subtilty of sutours now a dayes that though their merit be never so small yet they will so goe to worke that their credit shall be good forestalling the truth by their interest either in a good Minister or man of note if they be but morall they will engage them by gifts if religious by seeming devotion to thinke well of them It s a sad thing to thinke what bad matches have bin made by the mediation of the best men being first deluded Alas how easie is it to make charity and credulity to be on mens sides the best have bin deceived about this businesse But the third person who neither soweth nor moweth by the bargaine is fitter to judge of this game then parties are And be assured that true intelligence is not easily come by in these interblending dayes yet as I have said thou hast a promise that God will hide no secret from thee if thou be his friend so that thou dost not pervert thine owne way and stumble at the offence which thou layest before thy selfe to thinke with erring Samuel that the annointed of the Lord is before him when it s no such thing but thy carnall conceit we easily beleeve that to be which we would have to be The judgement of the Church either is infallible in this kinde or else it s safter erring with it then hitting well without it Great is the cosenage of dissembling parties when they set themselves to sale by religious semblance Machiavels maxime is all in all viz. soundnesse of religion is difficult to be had and quits not the cost in the worlds esteeme shewes are easie and will serve the turne even as well Hence it is that few walke humbly and plainly most are content with shewes As that Scholler of Cambridge said If I may get my degree I have that I came for let learning goe where it will so these I am now upon sale hill if I be once sold I have enough And I should offend many honest hearts if I should discover what I know touching the humours of some malecontents in this kinde especially of the female sexe basely pretending that their conscience is the ground whereas it s but a stalking-horse serving to scrue themselves into some good opinion for marriage whereas their turnes not being served but their ends crossed they have bewrayed themselves in their colours to be but counterfeits A spirit for the nonce is needfull in this discerning worke therefore let inquistion be narrow and wise among them that are neither neerest the blood nor to the advantage by such a match Sixtly be very observative and carefull in your mutuall parlies together to marke the spirits of each other having first begged of God an understanding heart The eare saith Elihu trieth words as the furnance doth mettals the foole beleeves every thing but the wise ponder sayings So doe you And as I said of the helpe of other mens eyes and wits Establish thy thoughts by counsell for in the multitude of councellours there is peace so I say to your selves trust not so to others as to put and dash out your owne eyes and braines but consult with wisdomes oracle and aske it of him who gives and upbraides not There is a spirit in man but the inspiration of the Almighty gives understanding as Paul saith the spirituall man judgeth of all things and is judged of none so here onely adde this They who have bin very wise in and for others yet in their owne case and this of affection especially have failed much and the proverbe is verified here Once all men have doted Put difference therefore betweene smooth words and neat passages of wit or conceits that come onely from the braine and betweene sound grounds planted in the heart Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth will speake to a wise hearer It s hard for a barren heart to dissemble fruitfulnesse or for a well-seasoned to seeme unsavory Question each with other not concerning persons but things not about preachers or Sermons or duties of religion or circumstances onely of abuses and corruptions of time for who is not up to the eares in this now adayes but concerning the reall worke of the Word by name how the Law hath quelled a proud heart and stopt the course thereof in evill how it is brought so low and to such a tamenesse as to crouch to God for the crums that fall from his table to be low in her selfe and lay aside all her ornaments glad to be equall to them of low degree and the like Looke not at the gifts of each other but try whether a meane opinion of our selves encreaseth as knowledge encreaseth aske each other what the nature of a promise is wherein the nature and life of faith consists Also how faith purifies the heart kils the strongest lusts and passions quickens the heart by a principle to all holinesse meeknesse patience mercy to the distressed and sorrow for the sinnes of others If these seeds be planted in the spirit they will subdue it unto God yea they will set a new frame within and make the countenance to shine And whereas it s objected Object few can so fully satisfie themselves in the degrees of each others grace Answ I answer try the substance and let degrees appeare in time it s well if grace in youth can creepe though it cannot goe though the forwarder it is the better if in the want of great measure yet the savour of these things breake forth out of the cloud and where bashfulnesse and modesty is the veile to cover some graces their 〈◊〉 parts be clothed with the more honour I know 〈◊〉 better care-marks to chuse good couples by then humility and modesty Despise not a little if these two be for as the Prophet saith There is a blessing in it Observe also how providence swayeth your mindes to or against each other observe each others disposition parts naturall guises and behaviour that which one thinks comely another distasts and some disproportion and unsympathy herein may cause religion to be meanly thought of And to end remember that this businesse borders much upon the outward man beware therefore that neither outward defects doe weaken nor their abilities doe forstall thy judgement either way from the due weighing of the best things in the ballance to or fro Slight defects will soone be supplied by religion
thy wisdome to know thy selfe And surely he who would but weigh the odious fruits of unequall mariages might easily be drawn from them What an imputation is it for a Minister young in yeares to match himselfe with some old woman for what she hath How meanly is his discretion estemed and how basely doth his covetousnesse heare alway after How should such a man perswade others to trust God when all men see the bastard of his owne unbeleese carried at his back What vile affections are bred in secret in many such desire of the death of their companions being growne decrepit irksomnesse of spirit in tedious bearing the sicklinesse unhelpfulnesse and unsociablenesse of each others bodies How many have we knowne who being discontent with their lot seek to other younger ones and defile them some within their owne dwellings polluting themselves with their servants How many murthers have unequall matches caused of infants so begotten and borne Nay how many have beene the cursed attempts of poysoning each other to be rid of the loathed party husband or wife What one Assize passes without such presidents I doe not know any one thing in the coversation of man which causes more disasters than unequall matches doe directly or indirectly Some being ashamed of their foolish choice care not what they attempt to be eased of them Others crossed of that lust which like the belly hath no eares and will not be curbed will venter any joynt to satisfie it and to say truth no tongue of man can sufficiently expresse the misery of spirit which many otherwise not of the worst doe endure through conflicting with their owne ill lots and corrupt spirits in this kinde and the wearisomnesse of inequality in one kinde forceth them to as bad in another Mens first wives being forty yeares elder than themselves when they have buried them partly through eager desire of posterity partly longing after the other extreame marry a wife forty yeares younger and so are lasht with their owne whip and as much loathed by the later as they loathed the former Fooles to shun one extreame incur another Vse 3 Thirdly Let this bereproofe to the unruly humours of many persons either in first or second matches which alway aime at that which is most contrary to their conditions I have noted that if there be any apparant defect in a man or a woman they are so farre from humblenesse under it or giving themselves content in such as are defective in the like or other kinds which yet is equall that rather they itch after and covet such yoke-fellowes as do exceed as much on the contrary and are of the best perfections How ordinary is it for men to affect better than they deserve to cover their owne defects and to satisfie their lusts and how wear some doth it prove For as Salomon saith The earth cannot beare the burden of unequall mariages as of one that is heir to her Mistresse that is upstarts become impotent and insolent scorning to take it as they have done On the other side he who takes an inferiour party thinks that she should pay for her preferment and become so much the more subject and dutifull Now when both parties finde it otherwise to wit that the one waxes proud and the other thinks himselfe neglected what a confusion groweth hereby Nay such poyson I have noted to break out of some baser parties in mariage that because they are privie to themselves of unequality therefore they are jealous of their husbands respect and love thinke themselves despised as not worthy to hold quarter with them and when there is of all other least cause yet then come they in with their irksome suspitions and they imagine their husbands to shew more affection to strangers than themselves Now equality would remove such misprisions But to returne why should a countrey plaine man affect the neatnesse of a nice Citizen Or a crooked affect a person eminent for comelinesse Were not a country woman bred for a Farme more equall Were it not better like went to like that so neither might despise other Why should a low bred one affect a brave gallant or a poore one a wealthy Why should a meek and gentle one defile himselfe with a shrewish spirit Is it not the next way to sorrow Doth not unaptnesse cause a division at last Therefore this is a fruit of old Adam to covet most ardently that which is forbidden unto us and against us What folly and sinne is out of measure sinfull if this be not and who pitties such as plunge themselves into misery and need not It is a kinde of delight in the obliquities of men who no other can punish to see fooles to punish themselves and lash themselves with their owne rod it satisfies indignation where charity abounds not but deserves no compassion Doe not such sigh in secret for their complaints are but rare to others because the errour comes backe upon themselves and wish they had maried as deformed as poor and meanly bred as themselves Doe they not envie the ease and welfare that equall couples enjoy such as make much of each other by the sympathy of each others defectivenesse or parity Another branch of reproofe concernes them that despise the rule of equall matches Now what comes of these unequals that widowes of estates must marry their horsekeepers and Gentlemen their cook-maids but this that to cover over their basenesse they must lay out their meanes to buy armes and titles of honour or if not yet enhanse their Farmes racke their rents rake and scrape all they can get whereas their predecessors lived nobly upon their meanes and kept good houses and all to purchase estate and purchase equality What is this save to become the scornes of the Countrey Is it not due penance for violating the sacred condition of equality I might here inveigh against the usuall matches now adayes made between boyes and girles scarse yet out of their shels but better occasion will offer it selfe afterward Vse 3 But to draw towards an end let me exhort first such as are to enter into this estate to whom I sing the former song Marry in the Lord still but marry aptly and lay the ground of honour in this entring with aptnesse Be not led away with that errour which you set up as an idoll in your conceits blesse not your selves with your supposed happinesse as if you were by so much the more honourable then others of your ranke by how much you have gotten a richer match they they or because your marriage hath pearkt you aloft above your own condition or theirs of whom you descend No wise Parents joy in their childerns unequall marriages let the modell of such as are the most modest in your ranke and order be presidents for you I am not so weake as to thinke that education breed learning and gifts although there be no great meanes deserve
mercy and compassion love feare meeknesse and the rest All which in their kind under faith serve to furnish the married condition with contentment and welfare Sixtly and lastly what can so assuredly bring in blessing to the bodies soules posterity families and attempts of each other as jointnesse of religion when both are agreed of their verduict and one buildes up as fast as the other when no sooner the one enterprises any thing but the other joines in a commending it to God for blessing They not daring to goe to worke in an unblest way without God That no sooner they spie an infirmity much more a corruption in each other but they reserve it for matter of humiliation against next time No sooner they meet with a mercy but they make it matter of thanks keeping the Alter ever burning with this fewell and Sacrifice What a sweet derivation is this to both of pardon and blessing What a warrant is it unto them both that each shall share in all good when as both doe equally need it so each seeke it of God When God is made both of Court and Counsell privy to all doubts feares and wants of both what can so assure them of an happy condition when censuring condemning or quarreling each with other is turned into a mutuall melting in Gods bosome for the greefs and complaints of one another when in Christ their Advocate they sanctifie all to themselves and make all things pure to them bed board love crosses mercies which else to others are uncleane and defiled This for Reasons Quest A question here offers it selfe if the grace of the married must be joint what is to be said when the husband will not concurre with the wife or she with him in such duties of piety or mercy as doe mutually concerne them Must she then desist for lacke of jointnesse I answer The question were much harder if it were made of such an husband as not onely doth not concurre actually with the wife but is contrarily minded unto her I will therefore frame the answer to both cases I say then that the wife may supply the defect of his non-concurrence with her in these acts of religion or charity For why his defect of joining although it may hinder the grace of the duty yet it must not hinder the essence of performance better is it that God be served in prayer in teaching the family training the children that the poore be relieved and good done as it may be then not at all Not onely because the defect may possibly proceed in the man rather from impotency and weakenesse in which respect the wife making supply especially being eminently better fitted then other women are doth as it were obtaine acceptance of both as if both could joine and the husband could bee the mouth of the woman to God This being provided that her gifts consist in an humble modesty as in other sufficiency But besides also though the husband be opposite to good himselfe yet if he connive at good in her she must not under any pretext detract the duty from God by his lewdnesse and incurre double wrath from God Nay I adde further although he be actually opposite that is forbid it to be done yet as the case may require through necessity of present miseries she is bound to step out from her ordinary course as Abigail did in Nabals desperate abandoning of Davids servants But I wish the Reader to suspend his thoughts awhile till I shall finde fitter occasion to treate of this answer which will be afterward partly in the dutie of the husbands understanding partly of the wives subjection Here therefore I doe but touch it Vse 1 I proceed to the use as I began And that is first Reproof of a foolish contrariety of couples in this kinde They will be religious in marriage but how Forsooth as they were before they will goe apart by themselves and severally but this jointnesse of worship they abhorre as too strict and needlesse They will grant that they must read pray conferre but it must be as formerly either apart or with other company but as for imparting themselves to each other they are loth to utter their ignorance barrennesse ungroundednesse in the principles or their spirituall forgetfulnesse unthankfulnesse lukewarmenesse especially the defect in marriage duties each to other These they are ashamed to make each other privy to God onely is they thinke meetest to be acquainted with them Why are you such strangers Were you not as able before marriage as now to doe this Are you now in no deeper relations then before Then you could not but now you may doe otherwise and will you not doe it I cannot better describe the folly hereof then by the fondnesse of such wives as when they speake to their husbands they call them by their names or place Master such a one or John Richard c. so as any other might call them as well as they or as they might call them before marriage Surely the name of your relation husband or wife I thinke were fitter for them then common names The like I say here such a religion I trow were fitter for you as might best agree with your neere union and not such as any unmarried person may enjoy Woe to him that is alone saith Ecclesiastes for if he fall who shall helpe him And to one how should there be heate he meanes of generation But two are better then one how doth this agree with the course of such They are alone even when they are two and they are two divided when they should be as one Surely if they should claime power in severall over their owne bodies or power to have a severall purse or a stocke going apart it were lesse sinfull then thus to nourish a worship of God wholy apart from each other May any so fitly joine in mutuall confession or thanks as they who have but one God and can as one soule in two bodies fellow-feele and compassionate each others case as his owne Is there any rent so bad as in semelesse coate What can this division savor of but pride singularity selflove Or how would the devill desire to rule rather then by this seperation I aske dost thou hold the body or the body thee And whom hurtest thou herein save thine own body and soule by refuseing such a succor Wouldest thou not think it an unkindnesse in the heart and liver if it would keep in all spirits and bloud within themselves and transmit none to the parts Must it not threaten as he said once putrifaction and obstruction to themselves and ruine to the whole So much for this first Secondly this reproves all such couples as are rather backbyases each to others in the matters of God then helpers either in ordinances or duties Such as when family duties are called for either by husbands or wives then they lay loggs in each others way then of all other
sinne to serve his providence This faith must be Domina fac totum she must doe all and suffer all and carry all she must be the stirring housewife or else in vaine doe others stirre who can doe more with sitting still then all others though each finger were a thumbe By her therefore and her daughter patience possesse your soules and commend your selves to him who will effect your desire This for the former particular for faith in the promise The other particular is outward which is the joint serving of God in the family Though both of you pray not yet the one hold it up in the others absence and set up God with both hands in your house Let prayer reading and other worship hansell your dwelling and sanctifie it at your first entrance and afterward season and sweeten it and all both persons and things that belong to that Let all goe under the banner and protection of God by it It must be as the Temple morning and evening sacrifice what else so ever you adde thereto you may but this must be constant The holy Ghost loves to honour this Sacrifice through the Scripture Daniel would pray at the season of it Eliah would offer his sacrifice at that time and so the rest And this Sacrifice made all the rest welcome and blessed Therefore be joint in it begin not zealously at first and end in the flesh which is the custome of most couples Looke not asquint with an evill eye upon it to cast your businesses so unhappily as to trench upon the season thereof as if your hearts secretly grudged at God in it and could scarse beteame it Both of you be just before God in it striving who should goe before the other in it be no snare each to other not onely by your backwardnesse and murmuring at it not so much as in your indifferency of spirit toward it least you defile each other by it and so you grow mannerly to put it off at first and then by degrees by any trifling occasion to outweare it Know it that by the defacing of this you out-weare all blessing and goe in the rowe of them of whom it s said poure out thy wrath upon the families which call not upon thy name Be very serious to taske your selves to it to presse each other not onely to a performing of it in generall to say a few praiers but to bee instant fervent and constant in it The seasoning of your children the awe and government of your servants depends upon it and where its wanting both prove ruinous and brutish besides the misery of the whole family condition Vse all wisdome thou man all prevention and earely care thou woman both without and within that all busines and occasions may be set at a stay and dispatcht that this weighty affaire stand not let for them Be sure that thy heart smite thee not oft in the day when shrewd turnes befall thy children thy house is in danger by casualty of fire thy husband and thou quarrell or any other sad accident happen to say these are because we sought not God this day therefore is this mischance befallen me in my cattell or in my travaile or by a fall off my horse or ill successe in my businesse or the like Let not the comming in of friends strangers break it off sit not loose to it least each toy unsettle it Awe the family to it both joine in the drawing of your inferiors to reverence it least if forme and commones once breake in the next newes be wearinesse and so breaking it off And with praier let solemne calling of the children and servants to accompt be practised If you can possibly let the morning rather then noonetide be your appointed season lest necessary occasions deprive some whom it concernes Chuse it before meales if it be possible If the greatnesse of household hinder that then take heed that drousinesse slumber and the Divell set not in their foote to marre all which for the most part is the canker of most family duties which through custome is made nothing of till it have cast out duty it selfe upon the dunghill I shall speake more of the mans duty in speciall afterward this now I thought good to premise in generall And this of these two particulars of the joint duty of couples be said Now I come to the generall exhortation and so finish the Chapter Let it be therefore exhortation to all good couples to be mutuall in all religious duties ordinances and service of God This will strengthen the wheele of marriage life as the strong spoakes in the cart wheele strengthen it from cracking and splitting Live not like strangers to God for so shall you never be inward with each other your life will waxe common and fulsome past and spent out in a shaddow and vanity yea vexation of spirit and at your death you shall say alas we never knew one another truely I dare not snare you for settnesse of Canonicall houres or for oftnesse of duty I leave that to your owne experience who should best know each others wants or at least your owne to draw you to it It is not meet families be made privie to the privacie of their governors it is the next way to make them despised its 〈◊〉 referring them to your owne seasons except your selves be the whole family for then the difference is taken away I say there may bee secret cases wherein even each partie may chuse secrecie in such be wise and powre out you hearts to God apart as its like Rebecca did in the strife of her twins There is a season for all things and marriage secrets are sacredly to be kept Therefore I say let this be the chiefe pearle of the marriage crowne search out all thy corruptions make a register of all favors of God which God hath granted to thee and to thy wife in common such as at the time of receiving seemed most pretious and might ill have bin spared marke how the Lord hath gone before thee and ordered thy conversation consider together how happily and yet perhaps hardly you met in marriage what sound love and covenant the Lord bred at first in you how they have since held firme and although many things have come in to weaken them yet they have not prevailed Consider how your hearts are drawne daily each to other calmeth your unquiet spirits which otherwise would not keepe compasse so that you looke not each upon the other with the eyes of Serpents but of Doves Observe how Sabbaths and Sacraments are blessed how your faith and peace growes your feares decay how your corruptions are purged what dangers in body state children you avoid and what sorrowes which comber others you are free from also what successe in your childrens tractablenesse and towardnesse what faithfulnesse and subjection in your servants for is it not God who makes many stout stomackes of both sexes subject to weake
governors as David saith how your fellowship with the good encreases what new blessings are fallen upon you in persons names trades posterity Marke also well where Satan most insuleth and where the hedge is lowest with you what corruptions as old sores breake out in their seasons which yet seemed to be quasht before what lustes of the heart lust of the eie or pride of life bubbles up from within Looke not each into him or her selfe but each into other as having interest deeply planted yet doe it not with curiosity but simplicity By this meanes both abundant matter and manner as oile to the lampe will offer themselves to nourish this ordinance all lust of sloth all rust of ease wearinesse will be filed off And a free heart to make God the umpire of your differences if any be as how can it be avoided but a roote of bitternesse within will lesse or more breake out the composer of your hearts the granter of your requests and the gracer of your marriages will be obtained And feare not lest this course should in time wearie you or alienation each from other should grow to distast this duty for the Lord who hath founded it will owne it and can blesse it and keepe out disorder and the sweet fruit of this service will so both prevent attend and follow you in all your waies that you shall feele your selves to walke each before other and both before God lesse loosely moresoundly and safely For why how can it otherwise be when both of you remember whom you use to goe to as to the oath and covenant both in your confessions on which you shame your selves for your faylings and in your requests craving pardon and purging and where you have done wel to praise him for support and to be thankfull for that administration and protection of his under which as his beloved you have bin all the day long I conclude therefore goe to God more jointly then ever hold and pull more hard and close together so oft as you go to the throne of grace especially when as with that good Jacob you are resolved not to cease wrastling till you be blessed compell him to send you away with your request else you cannot be answered Goe by a promise in your Advocate and say now Lord this new state of ours requireth new manners new selfedeniall new faith new life a donble portion of grace begge it therefore as Elisha did all that belong to you require a new part in you And who is sufficient for these Make your selves nothing and God all in all who can satisfie you Seperate not your selves in these duties as others doe in Congregations or others in boord and bed but say come let us pray together confesse give thanks I am as thou art my people as thine my horses as thine my thoughts affections members as thine By this meane love shall so grow that it shall outgrow all distempers you shall say of each other I never thought my wife had the tithe of that grace in her heart or that my husband had halfe that humblenesse compassion faith which now I perceive Those evills those infirmities which would for ever have estranged some and caused distast I see in him in her breed so much the more love to my soule sympathy and mercy This from this welspring of joint worship shall flowe streames of hony and butter as Iob speakes into all the lifeâ— Especially when crosses and streights shall befall you then shall God be neerest of all unto you and be afflicted with you in all because you have made him the God of your mounteynes he wil bee the God of you valleys also whenas others who never thus traded with him shal be sent to their Idolls and to shifte for themselves And as touching the first duties of mutuallnes viz. of these fowre jointnesse of religion and worship thus much CHAP. VII The second mutuall duty of the Married viz. Conjugall love handled I Now proceed to the second mayne and joint duty of the marryed which is conjugall Love For the better handling wherof it will not be amisse first to premise somewhat touching the nature of it and then to shew some reasons why it should bee jointly preserved adding some meanes wherby it may bee done and so concluding with use That infinitely and onely wise God who both upholdeth by his providence all his creatures in their kindes and subsisting and hath by one soule of harmony and consent accorded each with other for their mutuall ayde and support much more hath his hand in the accorde of reasonable creatures their fellowship and league together as without which they could not well continue in their welfare prosperity And therefore for the more sweete reconciling and uniting of the affections of one to another in every kinde of league and fellowship both the more generall and common standing in outward commerce and the more neer close as in friendship and marriage he hath accordingly planted in every nature sexe and person more or lesse Simpathy that the one not possibly beeing able to subsist without the other might by this tye each love the other and be knit to the other in union and affection This appeares even in the most remote contracts of buying and selling borrowing and lending wherin although the league stand rather in things then in persons yet even there is seene a generall kinde of love each man chusing to trade and traffique with them whose spirit and frame is most sutable to their owne When God meant to enrich the Israelites by the bounty of the Egyptians he darted in for the time such a sympathie into their hearts that they found favour in their eies so that nothing was then too deare for them jewels and gold and silver till they had impoverisht themselves And in those combinations of men which are grounded in law and civill order in commonwealths and corporations although there be a necessary bond to keepe all sorts within order and government yet there is to be observed between those members a more peculiar bond betweene some then others through a suteablenesse of disposition that is in them whereby for speciall causes the one doth more tenderly affect some one or other then the common body can affect it selfe This yet doth much more appeare in the league of friendship wherin we see God doth so order it that by a secret instinct of love and sympathy causing the heart of the one to incline to the other two friends have beene knit so close to the other that they have beene as one spirit in two bodies as not only wee see in Jonathan and David but in heathens which have striven to lay downe their lives for the safeguard of each other And that the finger of God is hert appeares by this that oftimes a reason cannot be given by either partie why they should be so tender each to other It being caused notby any profitable
their place should teach the younger to be sober should rather aime at being under the line then above it But as it is not youth where there is a chast spirit that can provoke to excesse in this kind so neither is it age in any profession if it be once tainted with defilednesse which will perswade men to moderatenesse but as bruite beasts their will is their law and even in those things they know yet they corrupt themselves to the griefe and sad woe of their companions who know not how to redresse it Loth I am to speake that in this argument with many sentences yea in two wordes if one might serve and heartily wish which yet never will bee obteined that at least the religious might be lawes to themselves in such kinds But the experience of the contrary may plead some pardon for that little I have said Some must speake and where more aptly then in a treatise for the nonce But how shall we know when this due measure is observed Surely then when snaring concupiscence is prevented and fitnesse of body and minde therby purchased freely to walke with God and to discharge duties of calling without distraction or annoyance And so doing much fredome may be enjoyed both the former extremities being avoyded and Gods wrath prevented which I cannot say whether it more hangs over the heads of superstitious Papists for vowing a forced chastity contrary to the expresse rule of the word or upon married persons for abuses in eyther of the two kindes Concerning the former we know both into what odious enormity of luste the Lord hath suffred them to be plunged both unnaturall and unlawfull making them the execration of the world for their lust Touching the latter I leave it to the experience of the wise to consider Both what vexation the neglect of this ordinance hath caused to many who under pretexts of their owne have refused the mutuall due to each other who afterwards seeing what wofull snares they have brought themselves into as seeking the Company of harlots and adulterers have bin deeply terrifyed wishing too late with sorrow that they had denyed themselves and subjected them to the ordinance And so for the other extremity when due regard of Chastity hath bin neglected what weaknes diseases inability of body and minde to calling and duty hath ensued Yea further when presumptuous lust hath broken boundes of womanly modesty compting all seasons alike what markes hath God set upon their owne bodies for their incontinency so upon the bodies of their Children yea and upon their mindes and whole constitution the one by disguizement of countenance the other by defilednesse with the like sin for what was bred in bone will not eazily out in flesh when as I say men have met with these penalties then they have justly confessed wrath to ceaze upon them And indeed although there were no religion yet if men were but Philosophers to understand the naturall mischief and poison of such wayes they coulde not but loath them Therfore let a wise mediocrity be observed sanctifying our fellowship and fruite of bodies by earnest prayer that both may be cleane to us Make not that helpe which God hath given as water to quench as oile to enflame There is a white Devill aswell to corrupt as a black to abhorre the remedie But such debauched filthines the loosenes of our age is come to in all kind of lust that I verily thinke if those chast Platos and Lawgivers of old times were now living although Heathens yet would be scorned by many Epicures and Libertines in the Church who thinke it a curbe to their will not to live as they list worse then beasts and Savages Be we therfore who stand to Gods barre a rule to our selves following the steps and practice of such as in our owne degree and ranke go for the most moderate in eyther sexe As hee saide of the endles questions arising about morrall actions let it bee as a wise man would judge so I say of this for questions of this nature are so impossible to be decyded punctually as other the like are of fashions and liberties of our common life that except they be put to a comprimize there wil bee no ende made So much for this third The fourth and last Chastity is that of the body This I make one duty by it selfe For although its true that if the three former were kept this would follow alone yet I say when all is done the body is not to be trusted too farre This sin of uncleannesse is a running sore in our flesh hardly cured Even many otherwise good persons though kept from the act yet by all their strife have scarse felt themselves free through a bodily propensenesse to this evill And Satan is ready to do in this so in other sins even by how much the sin is loathed by so much the more to exasperate this sin not to speake of the falls of those worthies in Scripture So that except there bee a speciall arming our selves against Snares objected and layd in our waies which are innumerable in the lives of such men as have to meddle in the affayres of this life and that with resolution both before and upon the occasion to preserve our selves all our former course taking to shunne temptations by our senses and the like will do us no pleasure when they are brought home by the Devill to our doore and layde in our lap presented in a Lordly dish with secrecie ease and fayre Colors Meere suddennesse of affront marke what I say when nothing else could do it hath prevented some that it hath made them all their life slaves and miserable Take heed bring not uncleane bodies to the marryed estate and bed lest being marryed this dog be not easily rated from the carrion There must aswell bee a fidelity of body as spirit an holy strength to ward off blowes to cut off deadly temptations by the middle by our well ordred members as not to call them in by well awed senses and carriage Chast Ioseph was not only resolved not to provoke himselfe to sin but when he ws suddainly surprized by the offer of an harlot unsought for he abhorred the object as if he had beene warned beforehand It s one thing for a man to have grace another thing to have such a presence of it that when our base hearts are in a readines to embrace present grace is nearer the doore to thrust it away abhor it There is more danger in a prepared snare made ready to our hande then in the speculation or foresight of that which may possibly befall us So much for this fourth which I call Chastity of the body in a speciall sense to note even how the whole man ought to be as well strengthned against the suddennesse of a temptation as beforehand kept from the meanes leading therto And perhaps there are some sorts of men whose sad
experience will construe my meaning herein better then others can I now conclude the whole Chap. with use of exhortation and with some short direction to set it home First I say let all who desire to preserve the honor of their marriage looke to their Chastity Drinke of the waters of thine owne well but let the Cisterne bee thine owne Seeke not to strangers give not thy strength to the harlot and thy yeeres to the cruell Abhorre all sweetenesse of stollen waters let not thy teeth water after forbidden deynties lest thou find bitternesse in the end If medling with thy neighbors hedge thou mayst feare lest a serpent bite thee how much more with his bed Let thine owne wife delight thee shee is the woman whom thou chosest for the companion of thy youth transgresse not against her therefore Let her love satisfie thee and her affections equall thy embraces let thine appetite be subject to him and share the duty and the honor of it betweene you both and keep chaste till the comming of the Lord Iesus Know that this is an equall duty of both God having bestowed the power of each over other upon both Thinke not thy husband tyed to this rule O woman nor thou thy wife tied O husband and the other free the tye is equall It s not jealousie of each other which can preserve this honor no it s the Canker of marriage Bathsheba describing the condition of a good woman tells us The husband of such a woman rests in her his heart setles upon her Nothing that a wise man observing vertuous qualities in his wife iudgeth her the same towardes himselfe which he is to her A good man such an one as Joseph was to Mary a just man one that had no worse thoughts of jealousie towards her then shee had to him loth to entertaine the least suspicious thought against her will alway esteeme her by himselfe Why should I thinke that her Conscience Chastity is not as tender to her as mine to my selfe what can it come from save a base heart enclined to treachery against my wife that I should imagine my wife should bee false to mee Surely were it not a sin to do such a thing or wish it done it were but just that an unjustly jealous husband should meete with that he feares that so he might be jealous for somewhat Many civilly chast women having bin drawne to commit this folly by no greater motive then the vexation of jealousie as not fearing God and therfore thinking they were as good commit it as be alwayes falsely charged with it And marke it It s commonly the sin of couples unequall in yeeres who having marryed yonger husbandes wives then themselves lye opē to this temptation Alas I am too old to give him or her content they seeke such as are like themselves when as yet the parties are as cleere from such aspersions as the child new borne what hast thou offended once and is there no remedye but thou must soder it by a worse I speake not as if I would make men Pandars and Bawdes to their wives through their folly and carelesse confidence exposing them to any temptations and winking betweene the fingers for what is this save to give ayme to a chaste woman to be lewd No But to shame that impotencie and basenesse of either sex whereby each is prone contrary to the good cariage and approoved conversation of the other yet to surmise in them falsehood and ill meaning What can be such an incendiary to set all on fire between couples as this cursed mischiefe of jealousie which is ofttimes upon meere mistake of some word guise or action nothing tending that way rooted in the spirit of man or woman that neither all the assurances of truth betweene themselves nor yet by mutuall friends can compound the matter so but still there must be a pad in the straw and ther smoke must argue some fire And yet when all is done it prooves a meere Idoll of fancie nothing in all the world The Lord indeed appointed a triall for the jealous man against his wife but wee must not conceive this was to breed or nourish causelesse conceits it was no doubt first brought to the judges in criminall causes to determine what the matter was and as our Inquests doe to cut off all meere surmises else what a bondage had it beene for a wife to be so hurried and defamed And although it be true that for the hardnesse of their hearts the Lord permitted more liberty to men at that time being sturdy and rebellious should that be any encouragement now to Christians to nourish such trash in themselves to make their spirits their prayers their whole life sad and miserable to themselves and to be so imbittered each against other that even when they would faine shake off their owne conceits they should not be able I say no more of this elfe of causelesse jealousies but this for the party sinning no man shall need to wish his greater torment then himselfe hath created to himselfe let him thanke himselfe that his owne sinne hath eaten up the marrow of his bones The greatest pity is to the party innocent and sinned against who is to be advised while there is any hope of recovery to strive by all caution and exact circumspection of carriage to tender the weaknesse of the other hoping that love rather then anger hath bred it but by no meanes disdaine them and to walke loosely under pretext of innocency But if the disease be so rooted that it will not be healed let them enjoy their uprightnesse for the way of God is strength to the upright as Salomon saith Prov. 10. 29. and not be dismaied but looke up to God who can cleare their righteousnesse as the noone day and plead their cause against their oppressour joyning prayer to God to quit them accordingly This I have said of injust jealousie as for that which is just I say as much against the guilty party wishing the law were as strong now as it hath formerly beene against all violaters of this sacred knot And for this branch so much I had here purposed to insert some other watchwordes and directions but I consider that in the latter part of this Treatise more full occasion will be given of this Argument So much therefore shall serve for this Chapter CHAP. IX Conteining the description of the 4. last Ioint duty of the Marryed viz. Consent THe fourth and last duty equally concerning both parties married is Consent and harmony of course each to another Both the former of chastity and this doe grow as springs from the stocke of love the former in the bodies this latter in the lives of both For this I would have the Reader conceave that the former of love and this of consent doe not differ save as the roote and the branch the cause and the effect Love being the noble groundworke this the sweet building
therof It s an honour to an house to be frequented by the great and honorable How much more when the Lord of heaven and earth shall condescend to dwell in our houses to come in to sit and sup with us whom should he sooner doe so unto then to the peaceable and consenting we know that old maxime of Machiavell if thou wilt reigne divide And our Savior affirmes it If Satan cast out Satan how shall his Kingdome endure No surely Satan must cast out unity and amity if he meane to reigne that he may bring in hellish discord and confusion Even so if God will reigne hee must cast out Satan that he may bring in union and consent between couples There is no agreement betwixt Christ and Belial light and darknes Then and never till then shall religion prayer Sabbathduties holy exercises love to the Saints be enterteyned when consent hath taken up the roome of each others heart So much may serve for Reasons But wherin may some say standes this Consent Answ I answer By these few heads it may bee conceived for the particulars of consent they are infinite as the occasions of life are First in consent of spirit of minde I meane and affection Secondly consent of speech or the tongue Thirdly consent of practice and endeavors For the first of these The principle of marriage consent must be rooted in the heart That each thinke and affect the same things As in Ezekiel its saide of the beasts and the wheeles that when the one went forward the other did so and when the beasts were lifted up the wheeles were lifted up for the spirits of the beaâ—ts were in the wheeles So ought it to be between couples one judgement one mind one heart one soule in two bodies the spirit of the wife in the husband and his in the Lord. That which the flatterer saith in the CoÌ„edy the hatred of the name beeing remooved that should the wife say to the husband Sayst thou a thing So say I. Deniest thou I deny it too And in a word I am prepared for the nonce to agree with thee in all things good honest What is more beautifull to behold in marriage theÌ„ that wherof it is a ResemblaÌ„ce I meane the harmony betweene the Lord Iesus the head and the members to wit his Church Reade the Canticles See how the Church ecchoeth her husbands voyce in all he speaks see how shee pleases her selfe in his comely proportion attire gestures And he againe in hers how shee depends wholly upon his becke and countenance joies in his presence mournes in his absence repozes her selfe in his bosome beeing asleep watcheth his awaking followes after him hangs upon him in his departing longs for his returne and having lost him runs after him as one distracted and bewraies her life to be bound up in his as Iacobs in Benjamins This inward complacence welpleasing and welapayednesse of couples in each other is the very quintessence of marriage peace and contentment As in the mysticall body of Christ we see what an instinct is in them to maynteine their owne beeing in the welfare of each other All envy wrath suspicion jealousie unkindnes pride censure and whatsoever else savoring of selflove and seperation beeing odious to them Each doing his owne service content with his owne portion mourning with any that is ill at ease and glad of their welfare Secondly this consent must be in the speech and language of them both It s true generally but in this point specially That speech is the discoverer of the mind Looke what the abundance of the heart is that will vent it selfe at the mouth So the husband and wife should answer to each other as Iehoshaphat to Iehoram I am as thou art my people are as thine my horses as thine Yea the speech of each to other should bee without flattery as the glasse to behold each other in As face answers to face in the water so doth a man accomodate himselfe to his friend sayth Salomon how much more the husband and wife to each other They should even resemble each the others frame and temper in the Lord with all ingenuity As the beames do represent the Sun in her heat and light so should the sweet carriage of the wife argue the body which gives her influence even her husbands vertues And lastly there ought not onely to be this harmony in presence onely but in absence also even in the way of their Conversation abroad in company in duties of Sabbath of Christian communion whether together or asunder such should be the reflexion of a wives carriage that all that see her may see the wisdome thoughts affections of the husband in her not a carriage of her owne as of one severed from his way slighting his as if shee were wiser but humbly submitting judgment will and spirit to his in the Lord and where there is any difference so it be grounded keeping it secret and acquainting God with it as shee did when she felt strife in her wombe that he might reconcile it and settle it aright in time For in such a Case discreet concealment will far sooner reduce them together then open expression of their differences The actions of the one should bee the shadow of the others yea a modell thereof As it was once betweene David and his new subjects whatsoever liked David that was presently pleasing to all his people they agreed at an haires bredth This threefold corde of heart mouth and worke is not easily broken Vses I shall make these three appear better in uses of the point to the which I hasten Vse 1 First then what bitter reproofe is this to the most even of such as seeme to stand to Gods barre and triall I passe by the ruder sort of barbarous people rusticall and profane who never yet came into the garden where this grace grew such as passe their daies eyther in brutish and Nabalish churlishnes brawling fighting and quarrelling together or else consent onely in evill serving each the others turne according to those vices they are enclined unto as the world to take together portions for their childreÌ„ by hooke or crooke or pleasures and libertyes or pride of life and fashions or envious pursuit of their Enemâ—es slander or the like sins of the tongue I say to leave such who would looke for such differences of spirit and temper among such as pretend great zeale in profession A man would thinke when hee lookes narrowly into them that they are set as marks of opposition each to other then resemblers of their affections joyes and desires verely I have often seen it to the shame of such I speake it that among some ignorant couples whom onely naturall likenes of maners or civill education hath handsomed there is found more love and accorde then among some such as daily keep on foot the worship of God in their families Shall I praise
them in this no surely I know the sorrow which heerby you procure to your selves is punishment sufficient for your folly But you must not escape so but shame you for such contrariety of spirit Many men and women beeing so crosse each to other that they thinke this consent rather a weake and seely fruite of a pusillanimous spirit yea a shame rather then an honor to their Marriages And that then they have quit themselves best when they can whet their teene upon one another jarring and jangling and pleasing their froward and ill a payde spirits in displeasures and differences And can you or dare you neverthelesse board converse and bed together and goe to the house of God and there heare and partake the Sacrament of communion as if there were nothing amisse Can two walke together except agreed Or do you cast arrowes and darts and say you are in sport what villanous hypocrisie is this thus to habit your selves in sin that the custome of it should make you senslesse of it and cause a falling sicknesse of discord that you know not the way of geting in againe All day warre and deadly feud and yet lye down at night and wipe off each crum from the lips Nay what do such save make the Ordinances of God covers of their shame wickednesse I doubt whether such or these or they whose debates breake out into separation so that neither towne nor country can holde thē are the worse of the two I say in point of presumption though their sin bee not so exemplary What a pageant is this for the Devill to laugh at how out of measure sinfull is your sin Tygers and Beares have their agreement and shall such distempers reigne in the marriages of the religious Shall fraud and oppression bee found in the seate of justice or a froward waspish spirit in the proper element of peace and consent Where shall peace be looked for if you disagree in marriage If you war and contend who should agree Or who should go about the families of religious ones to seeke out matches when as such as these hatch up a brood by their lives and examples more fit for the Divell to governe in then the spirit of God which is peaceable Shall such as should one day judge the world if they bee as they seeme yet be faine to referre the desperate quarrels of wife and husband to the arbitrement of friends By which occasion matters growing to be ript up betweene you perhaps the coales of Iuniper are blowne to a greater heate then before by these bellowes and the hope of accord set further off then it was Surely as the corruption of the finest bodies is most loathsome so are the contentions of such as should bee most quiet commonly most tedious for sinne loves to bee out of measure sinfull So much of this first Vse 2 Secondly this should be abasement and deepe humbling to all such couples out of whose brests this sinne hath not chased away all remorse and tendernesse Oh man Remember the Lord hath created thee in his Image made thee as God to thy wife a man of more solid mould and frame able to beare impressions and occasions of discontent It s the honour of a man to passe by an offence The Lord abhorres thou shouldst weaken thy selfe by a wilful opposition of a weaker sex what a poore victory is that when thou hast matched a seely woman No thine honour stands rather in passing by her folly and weaknesse not in a currish blockishnesse not in a surly stoutnesse and pride of stomack not in a controlling imperious carriage and thwarting tongue This is to betray thy owne strength and to out-shoot the divell in his owne bow This is to smite all due honour out of thy wives heart and as oile to the flame to enflame and provoke her spirit to be sevenfold worse Rather doe in such a case as workmen in colepits use to do when the candle burnes blue they suspect the dampe to bee a comming which would stifle them and therefore they strive to get out who can get first and when the dampe is over then to worke againe So give place to this dampe and distemper of discord and contention and when it s over then returne to thy wonted course And in conclusion looke to find small fruit of violent striving For as Latimer said he that gets the victory here gaines sorrow and he that loses loses peace The gaines which thou gettest thou maist put in thine eye and see never the worse Thou shalt repent thee at leasure that thou diddest not redeeme thy peace upon harder termes then the curbing of a base appetite Thou shalt lose thy sweet words in thy bitternes thy liberty with God to lift up pure hands without wrath or doubting shall degenerate into feare barrennes and bondage thy praiers shall be choaked in thy throate and perish in the uttering which thou wert once wont to powre out purely confidently cheerfully Therefore obey this charge of God and prosper If the Lord blesse not thine endeavor yet it s better for thee to deny thy selfe and to waite the issue with patience then bootelesse to strive against the streame The like I say to thee oh woman Is this a life pleasing to thee alway to live like a Salamander in the fire Is this an Element so welcome to thee Consider poore wretch how thou degeneratest from thy creation Thou wert moulded by the hand of a wise workman to be a tender and yeelding nature the weaker vessell and doest thou delight in a spirit of contradiction wilt thou resist thy Maker and thy head both at once Shouldest thou thinke it an honour to thee to carry in thy bosome a proud wrathfull and shrewish heart and in thy head a stinging tongue Oh it were more agreeing to thee to be melting milde and overcome evill with good If this ought to be done to an enemy abroad that if he need thou shouldest cloath him feed him If to him who reviles thee thou shouldst returne good language if to him who would take thy cloake thou shouldst cast thy coate also to shew how meeke thou art that so thou mightst bee like to thy father who doeth good to the evill what then shalt thou doe to thy husband that thou mightst resemble the Lord Iesus his tendernesse to his Church whereof thy marriage is a shadow As thou wouldst that Christ should handle thee so do thou oh man handle thy wife and thou oh wife thine husband Goe together as once a couple did being convinced by their Ministers reproofe and breake heart each in others bosome confesse how farre you are off from your first frame what dishonour to the gospell you have beene and wofull joint enemies to that joint and mutuall peace which both of you should have hatched and nourished betweene you Beseech the Lord to shed his love and spirit into your bosomes his peaceable amiable quiet spirit
which can turne your swordes into mattocks and speares into plowshares who can make the oxe and the lyon the beare and the lambe to feed together that is take out your felnesse and put into you an heart of Amity and consent Then shall you bee another while for the honor of that Ordinance with equall endeavors which all this while you have so reproched Vse 3 And thirdly let it bee admonition unto both parties and first let mee say this Enter not into marriage in a confidence of your owne strength when couples first meete together youth strength and carnall Confidence upon their owne meanes with fleshly content each in other makes them dreamâ— of a dry summer and thinke I shall not be mooved It wilâ—e alway hony moone with me as if the bitternes of an unquiet heart were passed away But poore soules you know no more your owne spirits then Hazaël did when hearing the Prophet telling what a cruell wretch he should proove he asked Am I a dog to do such things You dawb with untempered morter which will fall off in frosty wether But when experience hath schooled you and shewed you the discontents of marriage and with what bitter ingredients sin hath poysoned your hoped successes wheÌ„ husband prooves an unthrift wife an ill housewife businesse in the world crosse and left-handed when also cares feares losses charge of children sorrowes of the wombe and nursery bad children debts and straits come upon you at once none wherof you have grace to prevent oh then you see that your first merry meeting will not beare off all assaults And yet what should I speake of such things when a base heart in the middest of all contrary mercies pamperd with the creature but wickedly proud and unthankful can and oftner doth cause this woe to couples more then all adversity Oh this canker growes out of blessing oftner then affliction wherfore enter this estate with selfdeniall humble your selves bee as Ephraim who was as an heifer unused to the yoke but after he repented and smote upon his thigh Do you so beforehand and beg armor of God for the hardest bost not of the best ere you put off your harnesse the best will alway save it selfe Secondly know this That although the Lord should free you from such disasters yet marriage of it selfe without speciall grace will try of what mettall you are made Even meer continuance of time Custome and usuall society will by corruption procure a fulsomenesse satiety yea a wearinesse of each other Acknowledge therfore that this frame of your marriage will not stand alone it needes daily props to keep off an impatieÌ„t spirit For why The meer spirit that is in you lusts to envie enclines to crossenes elvishnesse and self willednesse of spirit when as yet there is no vexation without to cause it What need is there then to ply the Lord with prayer for the sweet uniting of your spirits and calming of your hearts That the peace of God passing understanding may fence or as the word is beleaguer and hemme in your soules or as a garison keepes a towne safe may preserve them with the knowledge of God and possesse them in patience Alas let all your whetting and provoking each other be reflected backe upon your owne selves fret with indignation against the Roote within purge out that leaven and then your hard hearts shall melt into teares for each other spend your time of jarring in prayer and earnest request to God for mercy and pardon That he would take off your rough edge and make you polished and squared stones to couch in the wall of this building which before could lye no way Oh! the Lord for ought you know may make you blessed meanes of each others conversion that you may blesse him that ever you met who so oft have cursed your owne eyes for seeing each other Let the fruite bee as God will sure I am the crosse of an uncomfortable yoake should perswade you rather to spend all your life in prayer then in Rebellion For its better if it must be so that God delay your desires whiles you are praying then whiles you are sinning and stopping the course of prayer Thirdly put on the Lord Iesus and he shall so furnish you that you shall not need to take any more thought how to fulfill your base lustes any more Put him on in his long suffering meeknesse bowels of compassion as the Apostle speaks which will not only prevent those evills of an unquiet and unsavory spirit through a well a payde heart but also will teach you to beare and lie under your Crosse and to bee as God will have you to bee Fight not against God but put on the Armour of peace as a Brestplate to beare off all the darts of distempers If the Lord will not be entreated one way ply him another Remember an heart armed with holy Resolution in this kynd is shot free and able to conquer a city The patient in spirit is better then the hasty and the end of a thing is better then the beginning Patience carryes with it halfe a release it is as it were boot in beame If then thy wife and thine husband cannot be wonne to consent yet if thou canst possesse thine owne spirit thou shalt conquer hers The best victories are by yeelding in this kind Strange is the nature of a quiet spirit it must prevaile at last because it will wayt till it have no nay But especially it hath this power in it to quench any fiery dart far better then any resistance and wrath If Cannon shot light upon the Wool-packe it loseth his force but if upon a stone wall it batters it to peeces and a soft answer puttes away wrath Bring Iesus into this ship he will allay all the waves bring this Arke into the campe of debate and it will make all whist and quiet when the Whirlewind ariseth suddenly from the heart of an unquiet man or woman and like to that tempest Iob 1. assaults every corner of the house to ruine it yet if this spirit of a soft voyce encounter it all wil be soft and calme on the sudden The cause why the house of Jobs children fell downe was because it was such a wynde as beset on every syde So it will fare with thee If when one wynd is arisen in the house theÌ„ by by another be up in the other corner to resist it woe to that house Then is the season of thy Calme O husband when thy wives heart is up in heat and then of thy quiet hert ô wife when thy husband fumes storms But if both be up at once be thou ô man the wiser and say It s now out of season for mee to meddle Else thou wilt throw downe thine house and destroy thine own peace The second blow makes the fray therefore while the cloude is as a mans hand
even in the eyes of them among whom he lives How is both Church Commonwealth Towne beholding to such as are provident for the upholding of peace the Gospell the poore If all were careles Husbands what must become of all these Some I grant shall ever be poor but these subsist in all these respects by the aide of the Provident when as spend thrifts do nothing but pull downe the house with their hands The conclusion is If the personall diligence of the husband do so much honor his marriage he hath good cause to put to his best care to be provident Quest But here is the question wherein this Providence of his consists For answer wherto I conceive that this point might tempt mee to enter into a Commonplace of Providence But I will waive that in this place attending the pointe as here it standes cutting off whatsoever doth not peculiarly touch this relation Answ I say then This gift stands in sundry points First and principally it standes in learning perfectly the trade of his way even while he is yong If there must be teachers Teach a childe c. then there must be learners This is the Seminary of Providence in husbands that they have learned their way in youth There must then be a foresight of things to come in youth and a willing subjection of themselves to such wisedome and painfulnesse as may enable them with skill sufficient in their trade of life what sort soever it bee of to bee provident The very Pismire is taught by instinct but it s not so heer man must be trayned with much adoe and discipline to be provident First by wisedome he is to shun all unlawfull scandalous and base wayes or Trades of life apply himselfe to that way which is most warrantable best agreeable to his nature whether ingenuous or mechanicall and that by the direction of his wisest Governors and friends Mocke trades savoring halfe of idlenes halfe of worke base Trades which import a shifting indirect and ill reported way of Support and profane Godlesse Trades of life must be abhorred Such as to be a Serving man for inheritance to keep an Alehouse or bowling Alley to be a stageplayer Dancer or the like Secondly he must compasse for himself through Gods blessing by the learning the mistery of this or that meet Trade ability experience to himselfe to make him a provident husband He must have his eyes in his head to observe and marke the secret of his way that he may get insight and experience he must not be so wise in his owne way as to slight them who should teach him the right way which may maynteyne him afterward But he must subject himselfe with teachablenesse to their direction that an habite of skill may accrue therby For not onely through the totall lacke of a trade but the halfe still in the trade and inexpertnesse therin many of all sorts procure to themselves most uncomforable and shifting courses in marriage whether bred to meanes or wanting them To this adde curiosity and giddinesse of braine in medling with many trades and fickle wearinesse in attending upon thine owne carrying a busie heart and eye over the trades of others having many irons in the fire at once so that some must needs be marred this error must be abhorred And there is none more common and yet very dangerous stealing away the heart from a setled applying of the mind to one thing distracting it to many as we see how many curious braines prying into things beyond their skill and trying conclusions for the satisfying of their humorous spirit have layd all their estate and hopes in the dust Thirdly a stock must follow skill to helpe the improoving of skill The best husband may sit still if he want wherewithall Yet we must know a little stock is a stock as well as a great one all have not the like abilities but all sorts must be occupied about their stocks more or lesse They who have but one talent have sutable expences or contentment in lesse they must not bury it but imploy it as farre as a little will extend looking at the promise Though thy beginning bee but small yet thy latter end shall bee full of encrease Although other trades outstrip them by their stockes yet they go not so fast forwarde but providence and blessing may follow and sometymes overtake them if there be faith and patience to wayte and not be discouraged Each mans stocke is his owne or ought to bee Such as have not the patience to bee doing with a little but must hasten beyond rule to borrow and rake a stocke together or to follow their first Credit out of breath till they loade themselves with more dealings then they can digest are not like to atteyne to much but lay a foundation of Bankerupts For a competent stock followed with moderate diligence though it be sure of no great encrease yet usually frees the owner from excessive losses which are much worse then slow gaines Fourthly skill and Stocke beeing gotten though some trades consist more in manuall worke then stock and others in the activity of the mynde not the body there must be an of the one to the other else providence fayles The upper milstone of skill must run upon the other of Stock The hand the saw are not enough to cut the log in two there must be an hand of life to moove and draw the one upon the other and so some what comes of it This Mort-maine of sloth will spoile providence what skill and stock so ever there bee besides therfore there must bee all dexterity cheerfulnes and painfulnes exercised to keep life in a trade A wise seasonable taking in of wares of Commodities at the best hand paying old scores ere new bee made warily and a putting off in season not overpassing our best marquet and opportunity an accomodating plyable and acceptable spirit to traffique with others a fine gift to be a Chapman if it go without basenes and flattery and with truth and simplicity To bee as ready to put off or take in without eyther rashnes in the one or covetousnes in the other are all meet properties for a provident husband The Apostle Rom. 12. 11. hath one sweet rule for this Not slothfull in businesse but fervent in spirit serving the Lord. q. d. So far as Gods worke is not hindred by our owne it s a comely sight to see a man active in his employment The diligent hand saith Salomon maketh rich and in all labor there is abundance if it be wise He sayd not amisse that sayde I love when I eate my meate to eate heartily and when I am at work to follow it closely so to do each thing as if for the present I did nothing else It s a common saying He that keepes his shop his shop will keep him The speech is usuall It s not enough not
then it will seeme plesant Nourish and cherish and hate not thy owne flesh in this first respect as Nathans lambe in the true bosome of the Lord Iesus the tenderest husband that ever was Secondly this thy Respect and Tendernesse must reach to her person and that in her Safegard and Defence Thy wife walkes under God in the shaddow of thy wings and protection Thou must bee as a vaile to her eye to keep off the dint of all lust and strange desires as Abimelec told Sara of Abraham As the eyelid is made by nature a tender filme and very mooveable and watchfull to the body of the eye that no dust or mote fall into it to offend it so must the tender husband come betweene the least aspersion of reproach and infamy cast upon the name of his wife wrongfully And when thou art dead let her rest safe in the Ark of Gods protection by the benefit of thy living prayers before sent up for her to the throne of grace that God would be an husband to the widdow that so even when dead yet thou mayst speake But while thou art living thou must bee as a wall of fire to her let everie one that hath ill will to thy wife as many will have even for that which deserves honor knowe that they maligne thy selfe Nay herein love her better then thy selfe that thou wiltright some wrongs done to her which perhaps if done to thy selfe thou wouldst passe by more strongly Let her Name and honor bee as sweet oyntment unto thee The husband who shall content himselfe in the generall love of his wife beeing yet supinely negligent of her repute or enduring any within doores or without to disesteeme her without sharpe rebuke or to bee knowne himselfe to see any of her weaknesses with the least contempt is not worthie to have the comfort of her vertues or the love of a religious companion The like I say of her body both in health and sicknesse Whatsoever diet or warmth or shelter either at home or abroad by thy selfe or others thou seest necessary for the preserving her in health and vigor from the least assault or impression that neglect not keepe away wether distemper disease for her be as a Physitian according to the discretion thou hast and the knowledge of her bodylie frame and infirmities in the absence of better helpe Prevent all dangers from her which possibly might assault her and what soever sorrow or sad newes ill and sudden accidents thou deemest would disquiet her turne them away if it bee within thy power or keepe them from her notice lest they might overthrow her spirit or weaken her body Yea as our Lord Iesus did so do thou if a danger must needs ceaze upon thee provide it may not come to her knowledge or as little amaze and affright her as may bee In her diseasednesse neglect no meanes which either thy counsell purse or friends can helpe her to advise for soule physicke for body attendance and nursery to person Grudge not that shee lyes upon thine hand But as thou wouldst have I say not her but Christ himselfe to tender thee in thine so do thou her in her defects Let it appeare to her cleerly that her life is precious and her losse would be uncomfortable If the poore Shunamite seeing her child dead lockt it up in the Chamber hasting to the Prophet proventing al pudder to her husband aldisquiet in the family by taking it upō her selfe how much more should the husbands wisedome and tendernes reach to thy wife that no Sicknesse or Sorrow might ever ceaze upon her more deeply then needs must if thou canst keep it off Say not with unnaturall Nabals Thou tookest her not for sicknesse but for health for better not for worser knowing that good wives in their health lay up desert enough to be tendred in their sicknesse The wife is not for nothing sayd to bee under her husbands covert Doe thou as Boaz did to poore Ruth upon the cold floore in the chill night spread the lap of thy garment over thy beloved I charge you sayth the husband in the Canticles O yee danghters of Ierusalem watch by my spouse sit by her and keepe silence wake her not untill she please Good reason shee have more rest thē thou let thy waking be her security gaster her not up too early sluggish women will not good ones should not be waked too soone Shee is alway in griefe that for thee by thy meanes what day weeke moneth is she free through the yeer breeding bearing nursing watching her babes both sick that they might be well and well lest they be sicke If she lose a childe by the hand of God or by casualty her tender heart takes more thought for it in a day then thy manly spirit can in a moneth the sorrow of all lies upon her Shee had need to be eased of all that is easeable because she cannot be eased of the rest We reade in the fable that the male sparrow once accused the female for that she did not so much take paines in building of their nest as he did But she replied There was cause why shee should pleade exemption Shee had all the trouble of laying the egs of sitting of hatching feeding them and therfore some reason she should be spared in the building of the nest let him do that who did nothing else and she prevailed And shall not shee who alleageth for her selfe with more reason Get her asleep if thou can but awake her not till she please And tell mee shall not her ease be thine Or canst thou have any if she want Little dost thou thinke of those gripings checks pangs wherewith she walketh whē as thou goest through stitch with thy matters with an hardy courage If all wives be not so I speak not so much in their behalfe but the good wife is usually so yeeld her this fruite of tendernes it s all the milke thou givest Yea let thy hollow cheeks pale face sad heart be as a Calender in which others may read thy wives infirmities their number their measure and how long they have continued I speak not Rhetorique unto thee but Divinity As and husband must loath uxoriousnesse so much more Stoicall insensiblenes remembring who it is who sayth Erre in her love let thy soule know no other objects while shee lives let them be abhorred And when she hath breathed out her last yea even when she lyes by the walles yea in the mouldes yet then is there another honor due to her memory when shee is not even this that thy hand be upon thy side for the losse of another rib thy sweet companion Mourne not for her without hope like an heathen shee is not lost but sent before but yet as Abraham as Jacob so mourne thou even till the dayes thereof be accomplished Bee not as the horse as the
any dependancie upon him and equally for her good as for his All shew a kinde of ennobling the mans sexe and denying of her to him as the head and more excellent not that the man might upbraid her but that she might in all these read her lesson of subjection For otherwise it s also true that neither the man without the woman nor she without him but both in the Lord. And doubtlesse as Malachi speaks herein is wisedome for God was full of spirit and hath left nothing after him to be bettered by our invention Reas 2 The second warrant hereof is penall and yet so much the stronglier tying the woman being now in a fallen condition For this is sure that notwithstanding all I have said yet the woman being so created by God in the integrity of nature had a most divine honour and partnership of his image put upon her in her creation yea such as without prejudice of those three respects might have held full and sweet correspondence with her husband But her sin still augmented her inequality and brought her lower and lower in her prerogative For since she would take upon her as a woman without respect to the order dependance and use of her creation to enterprise so sad a businesse as to jangle and demurre with the divell about so waighty a point as her husbands freehold and of her owne braine to lay him and it under foot without the least parlee and consent of his Obeying Satan before him nay God himselfe so that till she had put all beyond question and past amendment and eaten she brought not the fruit to him to eate and so became a divell to tempt him to eate therefore the Lord strips her of this robe of her honour accursing her with this penalty that her appetite should bee to her husband Which law is not as the law of the Medes and Persians for that must alter but a Law which bred a Law an instinct of unequall inferiority and smote into the heart of Eve a falling from her station and subjected her to her husband This appetite here spoken of not onely meaning her weaknesse of desire for some speciall end as benevolence respect or the like but the totall subduing of the bent of her spirit to him not thinking her subsisting enough without him but a confessed yeelding up of her insufficient selfe and that after a penall sort to depend wholy upon him A just hand of God upon her that she who would be Paramount as a Lady above him in sinning should bee fetcht downe to a spirit of feare and subjection under him whom she had so basely dishonored And from this roote comes that of the Apostle that the woman sinn'd and not the man meaning not first she was in the transgression and what then Therfore let her be subject Read the place The man is the glory of God but the woman of the man Therfore she ought to have power on her head in token of subjection and modesty And againe I permit not the woman to usurp authority over the man but to be in subjection And Saint Peter let the women be subject to their owne husbands lest the word be evill spoken of And to the Ephesians Wives submit your selves to your husbands as to your head for he is as Christ to the Church the saviour of his body So Peter addes As those holy women formerly were in subjection to their husbands Sara by name to Abraham calling him Lord By all these arguments these two Apostles not the one who was married but the other unmarried doe conclude the woman under subjection that without grudging she might resigne up her selfe under God to her husband And doubtlesse if it be asked by what commandement this subjection of the wife stands in force it s doubtlesse by the vertue of that fifth which imposes obedience upon inferiors to their superiors although in divers degrees with an implied penalty of disobedience And questionlesse if looke no further then the sinne and curse it selfe in the letter therof there is no lesse threatned to the woman then such a subjection to the man as had paine and irking annexed unto it Even as that other penalty also annexed unto it of breeding and travaile extendes to a mortall paine and pinch as considered in it selfe In it selfe I say for notwithstanding all this the Lord our mercifull and indulgent father in and through the mediation of Christ hath in great favour asswaged and released the rigor and measure of these penalties I have else where treated hereof If the common favour of Christ our Redeemer had not eased whole mankind from the excesse of all sorts of penalties what were the life of man but desolation and misery But in meer pity to the accursed creature weltring under her punishment as a man wounded lies wallowing in his blood the Lord Iesus hath brought things to a Reconcilement both in heaven and earth So that the heavens heare the earth the earth the creatures and they man who else should subsist If the Oxe Horse Asse and other beasts which by mans sinne are of subjects turn'd rebels against him and bereft him of his Lordship were not againe retracted to some useful subjection who should come neer them But now their rebellion to us is moderated and a shaddow of our Lordship over them restored not to the godly only but wholy to the nature of man by whose industry the wildest are tamed I say by a common fruit of the superabounding merit of Christ Such is the release of this penalty of women for though for their abusing the end of their creation by hurting destroying him whose helpers they were created to be the Lord abased them to a low degree of inferiority to the man and that justly yet through Christ this extremity is dispenced with and reduced to a tolerable mediocrity for the ease of womankind So that God can make that a royall and honorable equality after a sort which sin made a yoak of tedious slavery But to the Elect it s far better Notwithstanding through bearing of Children she shal be saved if she continue in faith holynes and modesty that is her curse becomes a blessed occasion of salvation So in this point of subjection it be comes an wholesome meane to humble the soule under the mighty hand of God and the guilt of her nature and so to drive her to Christ And not so alone but is a continuall holder downe of her soule under subjection to God in the course of her conversation And both make her in this religious awe and subjection to her husband so much the more pretious in the eye of God and all that know her Lo a penalty made an ornament very highly esteem'd of God And as for those womē who feare not God yet this indulgence of providence if it be not a meane to breake their hearts and to
seeke further to get a part in Christs peculiar redemption of the Elect it shal be doubtlesse a double aggravating of their condemnation Reas 3 Now for the third reason of the point why the woman should for her part doe to the uttermost to grace improve the married condition by beeing subject to her husband appeares by this that by subjections she preserves the honor of her marriage in the integrity therof She is called the crowne of her husband The Crowne Royall we know is a rich thing and richly beset all to honour a true King when it s set upon his head in his coronation before all the people But a woman made of subjection is of a farre more pretious frame and mettall then a Crowne or any thing which goes to it and beeing set upon the head of her husband honoreth him not onely in the day of his marriage but all his life long in the eyes of all that behold her No crowne glads the heart of a King so as shee makes glad the heart of her husband He is her King and Lord though he should want this Crowne for it s not a wives rebellion which can devest him of his authority and honor in point of right he may he a poore pittyed King for lacke of this Crowne but in right he is a King neverthelesse having his Crowne deteined by violence from him and woe to them that deteyne the Crowne from the naturall Prince exposing the person of so sacred an one whom God hath made honorable to reproach and dishonor So here God will revenge it and make her that hath kept it backe to rue it and to pay full deerly for her presumption But when this Crowne is added to the heade of a lawfull King then is his honor made up to the full such honor is a wife subject to her husband Not as a Crown above but upon his head her honor is not in being a Crowne aloft but upoÌ„ for the husband She is no Crowne of her selfe but in respect of him whom she honors receving back as much honor from that head which she Crowns as she affoards unto it Neither is the honor of such a marriage betweene themsel alone for honor is rather in the power of the honorer then the honored but also it reacheth to many others we see it in Ruth married to Bâ—az All the children of my people knoweth thee to bee a vertuous woman and him an happy husband in her praying for them as indeed it fell out that they might do well in Ephratha be famous in Bethlem How can a marriage betweene an understanding head and a subject wife chuse but be honorable who can smoother the honor of such Couples or judge whether of the two is more succesfull in either or who wisheth not it were his owne case or the case of any whom he loveth to be married to a wife so qualified And well they may for as it is rare to meete with such couples so the Commodity which they procure each to other exceedes all commendation All this considered a woman should be much too blame to desert her duty in this case and to lay the honour of her Marriage in the dust What is then this subjection and wherin standes it For the former I say its such a convincement of spirit in the woman touching the equity of Gods ordinance and her Penalty in speciall as causeth both a falling downe of heart in humility to God and her husband and in her conversation to acknowledge practize all such reverence as be cometh her head By this description it may appeare in what particulars this subjection standes to wit cheefly in the spirit of the wife and nextly in her demeanure The former is that same wherof St. Peter speakes of The meeknes of the hiddeÌ„ man of the heart of an incorrupt and quiet spirit which with God is much set by He meaneth an inward principle of subjection of the heart which is first given up to God purged of selfe and Pride the seede of unsubjection and then to the husband for his sake Although a woman have all outward accomplishments this way yet if her outward subjection begins before her inward as many womens doth it will vanish at last as a lampe for lacke of oile No framing of a woman by most exquisite education outward forming of the bodie to delicate behavior and semblance of subjection can compasse this no more then an Ape can attaine the qualification of Reason No artificiall respectivenesse of the eye the curtesie of body the silence or composure of the tongue or the like can secure an husband of subjection except all these be acted from an heart of subjection through the conscience of the duty But if the principle be sound and an heart fearing God awed by a command issuing froÌ„ Christ his love a willing mind not from necessity credit or restreint which will go farre make a great shew then is this duty well planted wil endure What is al that Miâ—olls bewitching love to David which forced him to sende for her long after her separation to that one basenesse That shee despised him in her heart The woman then must set up her husband there and shrine him in the secret of her heart and then all her externall subjection will flowe sweetly fully constantly without grudging and sit comely as a garment fit for the body Object But it wil be objected There is no rule so generall but it admits exception Women confesse that as the case may stand and as the husband may deserve by his great learning wisedome gifts grace art experience or like abilities some woman might be content to resigne up her selfe to her husband and be subject to him as to her head But as for ordinary husbands whose deserts are small and their defects great perhaps in some or in most respects mentioned it would prove an hard taske for a woman so farre to deny her selfe Answer as to be subject To which I answere God is not the God of confusion he puts this burden of subjection upon no woman who takes not the yoke of marriage upon her selfe which the Lord doth force upon none but allowes each woman to be her owne Refuser and to chuse for her selfe if she can such a man as she can yeeld subjection unto for the excellencie of Gods image which shee beholdes in him And there is no more then needes in this caution to prevent that base and carnall disdaine which else might arise in her heart against her husband to wit when she shall meet with an object of dishonor and find little to provoke due respect towardes him I say the Lord who knowes that the spirit that is in man lusts after envie and scorne would have this disease prevented to the uttermost that so subjection might seeme not to come from necessity but from free will But yet still I say
say she is wisely to procure the opportunities of worship but he is to menage and performe them She being within doores must take it her part to prepare and forelay the seasons for her husbands better ease and content in these duties a wise houswife will bee alwaies beforehand in her businesse that so the house may be empty swept and garnished for God to come in She must abhorre as I said before to justle and shoulder out the solemne matters of God yea or to cut them off by the middle and contract them by the colourable pretences of other matters So tedious in her dressing and trimming that a pin must not be awry so sluggish and lateward in her uprising so curious about her childrens addressment so tedious in her manifold proclamations and turnagaines that it would yrke any Christian husband to suspend Gods worke upon such fooleries and yet either it must be so or worse No no accompt these things bables in respect of the other that one thing necessary learne to outgrow all such old customes as base in Gods esteeme The divell will never suffer a woman to want bones to throw in the way of duty if he spie a mind ready to admit them If any part must needs lose let the worlds part be the loser Subjection to the husbands will first begin with God setting him up and affording him his due Nothing will more encourage a religious husband to be strict and careful in his way then when he sees his wives zeale in this kind nor more dismay and enfeeble him then the slacknes and indifferency of the wife that she is so far from forgetting herself for God that she will not afford him that regard which lies within her place to expresse But what then will some say is the wife then wholy out off from the officiating of worship in her family I answer she hath a great worke of it to seeke God constantly by her selfe apart at times meet and if her family consist of her owne sex she may like Ester with her owne maides in the absence of her husband pray with and teach her family and children besides the private respect she oweth thē out of the act of worship But will some say is she so straighted that in no respects she may performe these duties in the presence of the other sex in the family or of her owne husband as the case may require Answ I answer touching her servants the case is lesse difficult being her inferiors as well as her husbands and so she doing the duty of a Governor to them she is discharged especially they being unable ignorant or unmeet to bee so occupied and ready to pearke up and trample the Authority of the woman under feet by such occasions But touching the husband although the case be more difficult yet I doubt not but she may also before him aswell as the other performe these duties if these cautions bee observed For why serving of God in it self can hinder no subjection but rather further it in a lowly and humble spirit privy to her owne infirmities onely marke how First she may attempt it in case of utter insufficiency of parts in her husband I meane knowledge and understanding 2. In case of invincible defects of expression and utterance in the husband 3. And much more when there is an utter loosenes and carelesnes in him to look after it much more a vicious contempt so that as far as lieth in him the worke were like to be quite cashierd out of the family 4. If her husband do allow her with all cheerfulnesse or request her to undertake it for Conscience or if not yet bee content to give way to it upon reasonable termes of connivence yea though not so equall termes but with some lowring and with breakings out now and then or upbraydings of her yet not forbidding and opposing she must rather undergoe some brunts for God and her family and beare them as meekly as shee can then under such pretence to abandon the duty But if he bee willing and able though perhaps unqualified for grace shee must not encroach upon the office and disauthorise her husband but by all sweete meanes accepting that which is and covering defects to draw him forward to that which is not in token of an heart truly subject 5. If she beside her ablenesse to performe it bee also qualified with singular modesty and humility awe and reverence both of God and his Angells and her husband whose presence should alwaies be solemne and ballance her spirit to sobernesse and subjection If God denie her that interest and Respect from her husband which she deserveth so that he slights her parts despises her graces and will by no meanes endure her Service in this kind the effect is sad to behold God cast out and the family deserted and exposed to ruine But her remedie is rather to mourne in secret and by other wisedome to seeke the releefe of this burden then to breake her boundes On the other side if these respects be observed she may For the Lord ties none so strictly that either one must do it to wit the Mr. of the family or none No no the Lord knowes that oftentimes he of all other parts of the household least beseemes his place and besides if the head of the family himselfe even when he is able yet for reasons may resigne up his liberty to another a stranger who probably may honor God and profit the family more then himselfe in which case to stick to his Priviledge were a signe of pride and singularity much more may he in the case of usuall worship when the very substance of worship lies at the stake authorise the woman to performe it For although he dishonor his headship yet his ponance is just for his sin Better it is that he be shent shamed for his sin especialy himself revenging it then that God should be barred of his due by both his her withdrawing the duty the whole Family wanting the ordinances It was Gods Lawe that if the Servant would willingly abase himself to slaverie his eare was to be boared but his Mr. was not to lose his advantage And the wife is as well the Mother as the man the father of the family She is a parte of the householdes head as the husband is the wives head Now if she be free from the dominion of her head then is shee the whole head of the family and returnes to her priviledge so that without checke or controll shee may being fitted discharge the duty But if beeing a widow never used to it before she find this new taske to be over tedious to her then ought she to resigne it to another as if shee bee of ability to one mainteined for that purpose if not yet to such a servant as both for parts and humblenesse may bee meete to take it upon him without offence for else the remedy may
corruption cannot recover it by faith and this disquiets them the losse of a pig a chicken will vexe by consent because there is a worse vexer within But as wee know if a woman had found a pearle worth an hundreth pound shee would be overjoyed Christ speakes but of a groate so that if she should heare she had lost one of her goslings it would little affect her so if this faith were within the bosome the losses of toies the occasions of common anger in the family would cease That would change all as Christ calmed the sea And secondly for the life of it what gold is so precious as is the triall of faith Marriage is as full of troubles as a Crowne of cares Sorrow there is sufficient to each day to a womaÌ„ by name breeding bearing bringing forth many losses she meetes with false aspersions feare of debts wrong of ill neighbors and enemies deprivall of health her deerest children sundry diseases ill successes what were then the life of a woman under all these but miserie if she beleeved not in the son of God and hoped for a good end That although she cannot say All is yet she may say All shal be well when the houre of Redeemed ones is come This life of faith wil make the bush though it burne yet not to consume and will bring the Son of God to walke with her in the hot fornace who wil keep away the savor as wel as the power of fire from theÌ„ Therfore Sara and the widow of Zarepta and of Shunem and Rebecca are brought in as beleevers in that cloude of witnesses as well as Abraham and Isaac and Iacob So base is that speech of some Atheists that women must meddle with no faith but wrap themselves up in their husbands A fourth grace is Innocency and truth A compound of two in one The one is a brestplate of defence the other a Golden Girdle to gird all other graces of Gods spirit close to her These I grant are peeces or Armor for Champions but I understand my selfe to speake of women Captains and conquerors as I tolde you before and you know fayth is no effeminate grace though feminine but overcomes the world And why should a shield of Faith which serves to defend both the body and the Armour of it too go without a Brestplate and a girdle Debora if shee will go into the feeld shee must be armed and a woman is not free from assaults and perill shot and darts aswel as a man in this feeld of the worlde therfore must learne to put on this armour God hath no other for men then women though women must not put on mens apparrel yet they must be clad in the same armor of light That will make them shot-free The Emperor Charles the 5. went among the thickest of his souldiers and tolde his men That a true Emperor was never shot with a Bullet But I am sure of this That this Brest plate is armor of proofe An innocent hermelesse quiet woman shall not be ashamed to meete her enemies in the gates yea though it were of hell wheÌ„ things come to be debated her uprightnes and righteousnes shall deliver her Innocency shal be her defence against evill tongues abroad truth against an ill conscience within wheras the guilty and treacherous woman will betray her selfe and lose the day That very harlot true in nothing but that shee was the infants mothe â—by her truth escaped the swords censure A miescheevous woman or a woman-lyar who can endure And who would not go or ride a far journey to see this other warlike woman Those Heroines of whom story and Poëts so talke as Penthesilea and the like were not so gracefull a sight nor those Amazons that seared off one dug that they might shoot were no such spectacles as these women clad in innocency and truthe Their name is more fragrant then sweet oyntment and there is no dead fly to make it stinke A fifth grace is zeale and prety For the former it serves to make the woman a stirring housewife for God as Diligence makes her so for her husband Meeknesse in her own matters well becomes her who is earnest in Gods If a woman man would be hot and fiery let her turne it to God and for his cause and this will make her coole and calme in her own As bleeding on the arme by art stops unnaturall bleeding by fluxe so zeale for God cooles the heat of corrupt passion to man This grace becomes this sexe the rather because it argues truth of grace for else calmenesse of her frame naturally carries her to flatnesse and fulsomnesse It must be with a Christian woman as it is in nature with the female sexe of the creatures Nature hath put a fircenesse into the female because of the impotency thereof therefore the she Beare the Lyonesse are the most raging and cruell But grace makes that naturall impotency of the woman turne impotency for God as to provoke her husband with sweet affections for his servants and worship It was a great praise for the sexe that God would send his Prophet in the famine rather to try the piety of the widdow of Zareptha an heathen then any of the sonnes of Israel And it was the honour of those wealthy women Joanna the wife of Herods Steward and other the like to be the pious supporters of the Lord Iesus his body when hee had not whereon to lay his head And at this day if estimation be made God is as much if not more honoured with the forwardnesse of women then of men their nature being fearfull hath ever beene proner to superstition as in Ezekiel those women that wept from Tammuz those devout Grecian Gentlewomen stird up by the Iewes against Paul and where they are out of the way none are worse But grace overruling corruption turnes superstition into zeale and devotion into religion and then its comely Mens spirits are hardier doe not so easily feare Majesty tremble at judgemnts beleeve promises shun sinne love good as women so that when they are in the way none are better none sooner embrace the Gospell if it come a new to a place none more readily joine together in communion none more tender hearted to the distressed and such as suffer for Christs name God hath his women that wove scarlet and twined linnen for his Tabernacle as Manasseh had for his Idolls Oh! how sweet a sight is it to see these Votaries not of the Pope but the Lord Iesus who can thinke of that honorable Countesse of Richmond and Derby without admiration the founder of so many Colledges and Hospitalls I omit to speake of all whose praise is in the gospell wee have many worthy momen in our daies exceeding men in these pieties and zealous duties Oh goe on hold your daily entercourse with God! keepe quarter with heaven have your conversation where your treasure is and with that
by a wife Entrance marrying in the Lord and aptly in the Lord as also by wise watching to the Duties both of common nature reaching to them both and in speciall pertaining to either let mee conclude the whole treatise with an item to both sorts First all ye that are apt religious joint worshippers of God who love each other are chast and consenting in the generall also who in speciall are understanding provident respective husbands subject helpfull gracefull wives Let me say this unto you both I doubt not but in the reading of my former treatise you willingly heare of other unhappy couples your selves better married But which of you in thus reading looke up to God or acknowledge such a blessing with due thankfulnes Which of you do but suppose as it is not amisse to suppose what might have bin or what may bee or say within your selves If â—he Loâ—d had not provided better for some of us then we deserved then we desired given us good companions before ever we knew what the misery of bad or the worth of good ones meant yea if he had not beene better to us most unworthie then he hath beene to more worthie then our selves whom he saw fitter to beare to profit by the crosse then our selves were oh what had become of us Oh! Nabals Laâ—ecs Zippora's Iebazels had swallowed up our souâ—s spirits peace welfare thrift and all The continuall vexitions of bad heads daily dropping of bad wives had oppressed us Alas And why hath the Lord done this Surely not for any good hee saw or foresaw in us but because he knew how unmeet we were to honor him under such a chaine Why then do wee not more magnify his providence and wonder at his love who hath so guarded us There being so few apt couples in the world that our lot should bee to light upon no unapter there being so many bad ones that wee should light upon no worser Is not this mercy Was it a golden blessing at first in our owne sense and confession and is it become a leaden one now after ten twenty thirty yea fourty yeeres experience Doe rich Pearles fall in price Could such mercie be better spared now then it might thirty yeeres a goe Have we had the stock of good marriage now 20. yeeres and come far shorter in the Tribute of praise thanks and fruit then when we first entred There be 4. ages of each marriage through the sin of the marryed the first goldeÌ„ the next silver the third brasse the last yron At first couples begin with precious affectioÌ„s to God to each other join much in duty cleave closely each to other mutually excite each other to zeale good works and pay their vowes well then nextly Gods part weaknes and decayes and they hold mutuall marriage-love hardly Then thirdly both Gods part and their owne faile too and they waxe fulsome and formall in both But lastly and before they die the Devill will faile of his will but he will make them both loose carnall profane and scandalous consider this how many Marriages of great hope and solemnity have by these Declensions proved starke naught at last when indeed they should have proved best and by degrees come to perfection Let it bee a sad Item to such as enter well to beware lest they trust too much to their owne wisedome and strength which will lay them in the durt ere they be a ware Againe how little do wee condole the unhappines of mismatcht couples Yea even Christians better then our selves Rather readie to disdayne and scorne them then to condole and pity them As those two Aaron and Miriam fell a cavilling at Moses for his Aethiopain wife Why Had he not sorrow enough before Was this to mourne with him or rather to adde more burden thereto Was it not from God And were they to quarrel at it Even so it fareth with many That which should provok teÌ„dernesse love fellow-feeling compassion in men rather causeth disdaine indignation alienating and estrangement of heart deserting of fellowship Why I pray Do they stoop under their burden so deeply that they are oft ashamed to complaine and dost thou trample upon them Dost thou judge them afflicted of God and humbled for sin Knowing thy wisedome and choice was no whâ—t better Thy successe only was happier in providence No but as thy selfe in the like affliction wouldst be handled so deale thou Bear their burden associate their persons use all meanes to reconcile their spirits to compound their differences to reduce them to mediocrity and indifferency of affâ—ctions many couples had prooved happier if even such as were neerest them had not rather made them objects of abhorring then of compassion A great sin and meane to aggravate yea exasperate those seedes of evill which disproportion at the first was like to kindle too much Pray pray rather for mercie and strength to guide and carry them through For how hardly couldst thou digest those morsells once which must bee their daily diet Wilt thou eate thy sweet bits alone and so little wish them to such as want them wholy Once a man enjoying sweet marriage thought seriously of another friend that never married a viling himself as base in respect of him that seemed to be above the need of that which himselfe could neither well want nor thankfully improove How much more shouldst thou then pray for such as would faine enjoy that which no creature can help them withall Moreover if not our worth but rather our weaknes hath mooved the Lord to shew us this mercy how doth the sense of our weaknes humble us How do we esteeme of the grace of God in such as although but ill married yet do walke more wisely under that crosse and do grow daily more humble and wary and purge out much drosse out of themselves which perhaps the blessings of God purge not out of us but rather make us sleep securely in the love of them As pride hipocrisie selflove and sensuality what if we whose portion is better do yet make a slighter matter of it and turne it into wantonnes How just were it with God to bereave us of our sweet companions leaving us to passe the rest of our daies either in solitarinesse with snares so that we should bring our gray heads to the graves with dishonor as many have done or in marriage more sad and sorrowfull the latter part of our life then ever it was comfortable in the former part thereof Could we well brooke such sawce and sower hearbs yet fit for such as have eaten our former dainties with such unthankfulnesse verily the experience I have had of second or third matches which have betided some husbands have made mee to thinke of our Saviours words to Peter when thou wert young thou girdedst thy selfe and went at thy pleasure But when thou art old another shall bind thee and lead thee whither thou wouldest not Surely when
so be married without any feare of ever being divorced He causesher heart by this Attractive and these cords of a man to resolve upon the match Shee then enclines to him shee can say neither more nor lesse save that it is from the Lord she begins to chide herselfe for her so long ignorance of his worth unacquaintance with his excellencies little enquiring after such a person now he needs no arguments for shee cannot pardon her selfe that she knew him no sooner she casts off all her colors and covers of shame and resignes up her selfe fully freely and for ever to be his abhorring her selfe and wondring that such a person can love such a sorry spouse she compts all others as dung they all stinke unto her in comparison of him alone and therfore consents to his motion beleeving shee shall find no other of him then she hath apprehended him to bee This touching the meeting And upon this her consent Christ and his spouse live and love together for Christ takes her to himselfe from that day forward even home to himselfe and shewes her his dwelling making her glad in the tents of her mother as Isaac did Rebecca in Sara's tent he marries her to himselfe in righteousnes compassion faythfulnes and love he puts a robe about her and a ring upon her hand a tyre upon her head shooes upon her feet furnishes her with al his treasure killes the fat calfe makes her a roiall feast of all fat things of refined wines even his Sacraments he endowes her with all he hath takes her both for better to rejoice in her graces and for the worser to cover all her infirmities to make a great praise of her poorest vertues judging her by them and not the other undertaks for all her debts none may sue her but in his name who answers all sutes quarels gives her himself his heart and love and all which is meet for her for need and comfort for this life and a better for why She is his Hephziba and Beulah In all her sicknesses he assists and stands by her he is afflicted in all her afflictions his right hand saves sustains and redeems her Charges the daughters that they wake her not till she please and his love is her banner and defence And let none touch his beloved for he toucheth the Apple of his eye no wrong she receives of any but he makes it good an hundreth fold till shee be past all danger And sutable in measure is the spouses carriage towards Christ if shee bee not degenerate Shee againe most deerly loves him shee is in all things helpfull to him to his glory to his contents even as a wife of his desires Shee is reverently and meekly subject to him under all his commands with most loiall awe and yet with delight as under an easie yoke is most tender of his welfare yea is glad and thinkes not her selfe too good to wash the feet of his poorest servants if her goodnesse cannot reach to him she reaches it to his children whom in his absence she nourishes solaces her selfe in beholds him in them visits clothes and releeves them in their needs thinking them happy who may stand as servants in his presence shee thinkes her selfe more happy in him then if married to the greatest potentate upon earth The spokesmen who treated with her about this marriage are pretious in her eyes yea their feet are beautifull to her for the glad tidings they brought her Shee compts no labor too much no cost too deer for him Even the costliest oyntment is not good enough for his feet The reproaches of them that upbraid him goe into the bowells of her belly and dart to her heart she walkes not only not rebelliously and contumeliously but not uncomely not slightly But decks her selfe with all the gifts of the spirit humility wisedome and sweet tendernes of spirit yea the spirit of grace is in her lips that in all her behavior and converse shee may walke in and out gracefully and amially in his sight in al long suffring and welpleasing shee is faithfull to him in all his secrets keeps his counsell Dares not prostitute her selfe to any not only lusts but even liberties or companies which shee thinkes may bee distastfull to him yea but suspicious The tokens he sends her as pledges of his favor are most deere unto her She seeks no priviate welfare of her owne besides his She distrusts not his provision but trusts him confidently knowing shee shall not want denies her selfe for his sake rejoices that by this her loyall heart may be tried Thinkes never the worse of him because she suffers for him but rather the more he costs her the deerer he is to her No husband of other women can staine hers for hers is above all the cheef of ten thousand the fashions garish whorish attires paintings and spangles of harlots come not about her neck nor wrestes But shee frames her selfe to his contents in all chastity shee knowes his voice but abhorres a strangers Nothing greeves her but his absence All her longings desires and teares are that she might be with him where nothing may ever divide her from him Let it teach us in the midst of our marriage contents to raise up our affections to the joy of this spirituall union and in the midst of our discontents here to make supply with the happines of this And this may serve for these two generall uses also belonging to the whole discourse In a word therfore to conclude all If that which I have at large sayde about Marriage duties seeme to discourage any weake ones as if their oile and meale could not reach out so farre they shall never attayne to this measure I will not answere them as once a Poët answerd one that asked him why hee alway brought in women as very vertuous alway commending them but another presented them on the stage as vitious alway traducing them Oh saith he I present them as I would have them as they should bee but he brings them in as they are commonly So I might say my discourse doth not presuppose eyther all husbands or wyves as they are but as they should bee Ayme at it as a marke But I will answer as a learned heathen in his Epistle to his friend speakes when he had received a very short letter from him I have read over thy very short letter very often and so often that I have made it a very long one So here My large discourse may dismay some for comming so short of practice as they doe Beseech the Lord therfore to behold thy defects with a mercifull eye to read the short lines of thy obedience often over in the glasse and perspective of the Lord Iesus and so by his large interpreting and much looking upon thine honest endeavour it shal be esteemed as full and large God helpe Our discourses of these matters are far larger then the practice of
the most is Our selves who write and ours are poore and unsutable to our Rules Bowbeit not contrary not wilâ—â—ly opposite where there is but endeavor God will accept Give Lord power to do as thou directest and command what thou wilt Speake and spare not upon these teâ—nes for thy servants handmayds mouring for their deafe â—ares and dead herts desire to hearken and to obey Looke not at what is ours its vile but at that which is thine in us which is pretious In which happy desire I conclude the Treatise The End of the Treatise THE APPENDIX to the treatise Discovering the just vengeance of God upon all uncleane ones especially Defilers of Marriage Hebr. 13. 5. But Whooremongers and Adulterers God will judge ITwas no part of my Purpose good Reader to have used this text any further then as I have already treated upon it The occasion of adding this Discourse upon the latter part was the private request of a friend to utter my minde unto him and to satisfie his spirit touching the haynousnes of uncleannes whereof he desired his soule might throughly be convinced as blessed bee God it was through mercy concurring both with this and other helps used to that purpose which service I considering seriously of tooke the latter part of my Text as a ground of my project even then purposing since God brought it by that occasion to hand to annexe it to my marriage Treatise as foreseeing not only it would satisfy some to have the equall handling of both members of the Text but that it might not be impertinent as a spurre to helpe the Application of the former treatise and as a disswasive to as many in this debauched age who shall haply come to the reading of it if they bee not imperswasible and hardned in the sinne to weigh well their Estate and repent That so God speaking peace to them they may no more return to folly In which hope I begin Doctr. 2 The wordes as you see are But whoore-mongers and adulterers God will judge Explicat Which addition and denunciation fitly attends the wordes going before I have opened the words in the beginning all comes to this effect God will blesse them that honor marriage but such as violate and defile it by what means soever God will judge them The course may seeme strange perhaps which here God takes speaking to his church so to threaten and to worke rather by downe right stroakes then by oile and promises of love to allure to Obedience But even our God marke the word â— he sayth not the wicked mans revenging God but even our God is a consuming fire And our God sees it meet even to appeare to his owne sometymes in this hieu and in bloody colors when their spirits grow base and sensuall as this sin of Vncleannes of all other infatuates the spirit most and makes it insensible of commands except the Lord should take up weapons and flash hell fire in mens faces That stupor of spirit wherewith David was led a whole yeere together after he had committed this sin notwithstanding it were accompanied with such killing circumstances as to make a man drunk and to murther him because he would not cover the sin these might alone have wounded him to death if the sinfull sweetnes of it had not bewitcht him so deeply and the like we see in Sampson with Delila and we know how terribly God threakens both and pursues them Elija himselfe if stoute must have thunders and lightnings Jonah must have a tempest mingling heaven and sea in one and the jawes of a whale to gape for him Iob must have affrightings by Leviathan and Behemoth and Nahuâ— and Habbakuk must present God to the hard hearted Iews in jealous wrath fierce rending the rockes in such a voice as makes the lips to quiver the bones to be blasted with rottennes and all too little who is a God like to our God saith Mica sweetly who passeth by the sins of his remnant But if all should use such pleasing wordes cursed flesh would say That God is like themselves There is use of sweetnes when the heart is wounded with sin and flayted with feares But rare is the man who is alway fitte to feed upon such honey without surfet Too propense is not onely a base heart of the godlesse but the baser part of a Godly heart to turne grace into wantonnes There is a slave within us which must have a whip although the free borne be drawne by love Each must have her diet the one lest it grow too ranke of Presumption the other lest it be overwhelmd with Despaire The Apostle Paul mixes threats and promises to the choisest whom he writes unto For this cause comes the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience Be not deceaved No whoremongers Adulterers c. shall inherit the Kingdome of heaven And such were ye why addes he this To shew us that even Gods people had need to be put in minde what they were what they have still a disposition to to keepe them therby in some awe So againe let no man defraude his brother for the Lord is the Avenger of all such Many other such places there are All to shew us that God must sometime whip us to duty and gaster us from evill aswell as entise and draw us to or fro Therfore even so he urgeth these Hebrews to Chastity saying Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge The sin of adulterie then is hence concluded to bee a great one Object But here some may object that charge of God to Hosea the Prophet bidding him to take to himselfe a fornicatresse to wife and so defile himselfe by getting children by her Answ But I answere it was onely done in vision and in protestation before the Israelits If was onely typicall and parabolicall neither agreeing to the Lord who charged nor the Prophet who obeied By the Prophets assuming to himselfe such a person in Gods steed he would teach the Iewes how woful dultery they were guilty of in forsaking God for Idolls The libertie taken by the Patriarkes in the point of many wives and concubines was for a time in the first furnishing of the Church with posterity Else from the beginning as Malach. 2. speakes it was not so Nay this Command against pollution hath herein a peculiar restraint from some other that wheras in some cases it was lawfull to take the goods of Egyptians from them by dispensation in this no such is granted it being in no case or respect lawfull to commit uncleannes no more then murther And we see this point verified in Scripture at large Reade these places Levit. 20. 10. Deuter. 22. 22. for temporal plagues and for eternall to all sorts of impure ones Rom. 1. 29. 32. 1. Cor. 6. 9 10. Galat. 5. 19 20. 1. Tim. 1. 9 10. yea the greatest delinquents in these kindes even Kings and great persons
are not spared as appeares 2. Sam. 12. 7. Matth. 14. 4. yea even such as have attempted it ignorantly as Abimelec Gen. 20. 3. yea Priests 1. Sam. 2. 22 23. all sorts Numb 25. 1. Ierem. 5. 7. Iudg. 20. 4. The which have their several judgments there applyed And more of theÌ„ read as of the old world Gen. 6. 1. 2. the Sodomites Gen. 19. The sin of self pollution which I wish may be observed well that of Er and Onan Gen. 38. 9. Sheâ—bem Gen. 34. 25. All summed up by the Apostle Col. 1. Mortify your earthly members fornication uncleannes effeminatenesse unnaturall lust for which the wrath of God commeth upon disobedient men Doct. The point to be treated of is That God would have all sorts of uncleannes so layd open in their colours that there might appeare as they all are odious and terrible But what odious colors are here I answer Here is one terrible one which imports all the rest That which God himselfe will in person appeare against and sit upon the judgment seate to enquire of that must be a terrible crime But God himself not his Deputies only for all men are lyars will in person sit to judge it Kings we know and Princes come not ordinarily to the Starre chamber or to the Kings Bench in person for slight crimes but remarkable and notorious When King Henry the 8. to please that bloody Tyger Gardiner came in person to sit upon that holy man and meeke lambe of Iesus Christ Iohn Lambert how terrible was his appearance and how frowning a brow cast he upon that innocent Martyr What then is the brow of that God that must sit upon King Henry himselfe Only the difference is Princes make a long and deep inquisition of matters either really or for shew to boult out the truth But the Lord proceeds ex officio mero he needs no Informers no Evidence but is witnesse Accuser Iudge and all in one because he knowes all without enquiry A short count shall he make upon the earth how much more upon this or that man and his crimes By name he will bee a swift witnesse against the Adulterer as Malachi speaks And where the delinquent is his owne Accuser what need long processe of law Such is the conscience of each sinner and of this by name The Iudge then comming in person making a swift worke of it and having the sinner himselfe arraigned by his owne conscience must needs set a terrible face upon the sin of uncleannes Ere I go any further since I wrap all uncleannes up in one bundle of wrath I foresee that in this loose and lascivious age many will taxe mee for speaking so indistinctlie of all sorts in this kind fornicators and adulterers for the former of these had at the writing of this text have still and will have their patrones not Papists only but Protestants to aleniate and qualifie them as lesse sinners if not to bolster them as none And surelie in vaine do I urge Gods judgments upon that which is no sin therefore observe first for heathens who as Hierom saieth only condemned adultery suffring youthes and maydes to defile themselves without restraint as if not will but worth made the sin I say with him Christs law is one and Cesars another Alas that weake Relique of light which was in Heathens was soone overshadowed It caused the Apostles to forbid the converted Gentiles the sin of fornication and Idolls as equally promiscuous among them Their very Law givers permitted it as lawfull and therfore St. Peter saith That they wondred at the Christians that they ran not with them into the same confusion of uncleannes And no wonder if Pagans thought thus when Papists openly write thus For not to speake of their most uncleane Casuists who by their base particularising of the circumstances of filthines noisoâ—â—e to all châ—st eares do shew themselves what tribe they are of one of them expressely writes thus He is no heretique that saith Fornication is no mortall sin because there it no Text of Scrip. that saith so No is What meanes that then of Paul Colloss 3. 5. are not the wordes plaine that wrath comes upon men for this Other Papists adde That light of Nature condemnes it not and indeed in such as themselves who by custome have lasht out their eye its true but not else And their Canonists write likewise But let these masters of misrule go let us attend what the God of Order speakes in his word of which partly I have spoken in the proofe of the doctrine adde therto that Deut. 17. 18. 1 Cor. 6. 18. Doubtlesse they who drive out the spirit out of their soules and dodies sin mortally So do they who shall burne in the lake of â—rimstone Revel 21. 8. The Fathers are all of this mâ—nde Chrysostome so oft as thou hast playd the fornicator thou hast damned thy selfe He also tells us the law of Nature and conscience doth evince it we need not be taught what evill incontinencie is and fornication for we know it from the beginning I doe not much desire to loade my reader with quotations save in cases controversall to put all out of doubt And the same Father Lo saith he Paul saith not Absteine from fornication but fly from it Another of the Fathers makes a Beadroll of the Reproaches of fornicators A fornicator is a filthy ignominious slave of sin in whom the Devill doth knead in and imprint his loathsomnes He is to be eschewed in the house to be abhorred in meetings he is the reproach of such as come neere him the opprobry of his enemies the shame of kindred the Execration of Neighbors the sorrow of parents c. If he offer to marry al reject him So it was theÌ„ but now it s no matter so he have land or mony So another whoredome and fornication are not counted among common sins And Cyprian That fornication is a great sin Paul shewes to the Corinth He names that Text All other sin is out of the body To conclude Gregory a Pope himselfe single persons must be warned that they mixe not themselves with harlots Endlesse it were to mention the rest And is there not great reason How wofull a mischeefe doth it reach to For the bastards begot by such vagrant lust are wholly neglected in point of Education wanting the care of a father and the cohabitation of parents and so both an accursed posterity is begotten and beggery encreased Vagrant lust being justly plagued with a vagabond posterity But the maine reason is taken from another ground True it is that the fornicator sins against his owne bodie the bastard he begets an innocent patient necessarily miserable the Common wealth and society all bands of honesty but especially he sins against that everlasting decree of the 7. commande of a most holy and pure God And so much by the way for this point Quest But it
ordinance the end to prevent sinne Branch 1 For the former beware of defiling any ordinance of God! That which he hath put honor upon put not you contempt upon Marriage is honorable and the bed undefiled by an ordinance It s like the decree of Medes and Persians which alters not Take not you away the honour therof either by wilful abandoning of Marriage to live in lust unbridled or defiling marriage to cover your filthinesse it was not made to such an end God will bee surely avenged upon all such It s the practice of Satan and Antichrist his eldest sonne to be Gods opposite to thwart an ordinance What is so holy an ordinance as the ministry of the word the vse of Sacraments the use of the Keies And what doth hee more purposely contradict How basely speakes all this rabble from top to toe of a Minister of preaching of our Sacraments our Communion table they jeere all and oppose their Priesthood Masse Sacrifice and Altar What so sacred a civill ordinance as Magistracy They abhorre it tread under feet all kinds that crosse their owne Government cursing destroying excommunicating and murthering them at pleasure if they can come by them What so pure an ordinance as marriage But what uncleannesse is there which they preferre not before it Beware you rebels you fight against God one that is stronger then you hearten not one another against this Ark that is come into your Camp lest hee plague you and make it too hot and too heavie for your keeping Call not those things common and carnall which he hath called pure honour that which God hath stamped discerne the solemnes the sacrednesse of it defile not mine ordinance lest I make you your Sacriledge Branch 2 Secondly the end is to stop and prevent the sinne it selfe Beware then of all riot and excesse this way you who formerly during your dissolute youth have defiled your bodies or since marriage have adventured to doe so look backe and bethinke you what you have done Tremble to think that you dared to presume to sinne in that kind which God hath gastred you from Should Adam have ventured to breake into the garden againe upon the shaken sword of a Cherubin But loe the shaken sword of a greater then Cherubins are is heere How just were it that God had struck you dead in the act Still to strip you of all at once and bring you into the pit of despaire To accurse your posterity and to transmit your sin through your race to make you a by word as Jeroboam oh wonder that ever you got out of this pit if yet you be and take heed lest he who delights to see doggs and swine turn to their mire and vomit pull you not into this ditch againe Taxe not God for his severe and hard sentence against such uncleane wretches whose bodies have rotted in prison persons beene ruin'd with penury soules perisht in impenitency It were just with God your owne should have suffered no lesse for such as despise his therrors goe on still as the forlorne ranke in the mouth of the Canon wrath hath alway swept them away as a man who is aâ—gry will smite him that is next so hath he smitten some in their soules in their names bodies estates posterity to flaite others Else had hee beene unjust Now then take warning God aimes at the preventing of sinne If you by these examples repent not your selves shall goe in the drove and bee made examples that others may repent by yours And to conclude to both sorts I say knowing the terror of the Lord desist from your uncleane course who shall stand when God shall come in person to judge It s said that when Jehu sent to the Princes of Samaria Tutors of Ahabs Children to set up one of their Masters Children and fight for him they trembled and said two Kings could not stand before him and can we Therefore they chose to cut off the heads of them and send them in to him rather then to try it out I tell thee though the sonne of Nimshi were a furious marcher the sonne of God is more Not two or ten but ten thousand Kings could never stand before his revenge Hell is prepared for Kings if uncleane and adulterous Stand not out cut off the heads of these lusts and thereby make way for pardon and attonement to thy selfe if yet ever this wofull spot and crocke of spirit may bee washt out for there is but one thing even the blood of this Iudge which can cleanse it and forgiven Thinke not by peaking out of Gods sight for a while to wind out and bee forgotten So did Baalam that Bawd of Peor who curs'd Israel more by this Stumbling-block then otherwise Oh! he went to his place and lurkt in his nest till the Lord in person came upon Midian and then both the five Kings of it and all those entising fornicatresses and then Baalam himselfe was dragged out of his hole to execution verifying his owne Prophecie who shall stand when God doth these things will an innocent Lambe tremble before a Lion and shall not guilty Adulterers when God sits upon them Shall this be the fruit of Gods scaring of men that with the new built house they settle the more upon the frame when the wind most shakes them To runne to sinne to snort in it with so much the more impudency securely What is this save to mocke God and play the Giants against heaven To dare him with a Babell and try whether hee can confound us As those Philistians cried now play the men kill both Israel and the God of Israel if you can Be not so mad Time will make you thinke God is like your selves and he will neither doe good nor evill Because judgement is deferred your hearts are set in you to play the whores and villaines still But your damnation sleepes not he shall come upon you and set your disordered waies in order before you and bring as Salomon did Shemeis all your pranks old and newe at one view into your eies and then shall it not bee possible for your shoulders your consciences to stand under your loade nor endure those terrors that shall sting you as the handsels of hell which is ready to devoure you Vse 3 Lastly let us all learne to be of Gods mind and so convince our hearts of the judgements of God against uncleannesse as not to dare to think of committing it I have seene many wretches and one the other day whom flaited in his conscience by the feare of suddaine death unloading his guilty spirit into the bosome of Gods Minister even his filthy haunts with many close queanes unsuspected and under this he lay as long as the dint lasted but having found no further favour with God relapsed to his old course as a cony though taken in her hole yet if let goe hath no shift but to runne to her old burrow and harbour If
handes whole flesh is defiled with this sin Who sees not the unsutablenesse hereof So that as the leper was wont to be shut out of company to have his lips sown up scarse suffred to breath to try out unclean so here This sinner shuts out himself from God in that he cannot approach to him with auy member without loath somns I speak not this to exclud any Penitent from the free grace of God though God who gives each penitent grace gives not each sinner to be Penitent for Rahab Bathsheba Tamar yea a worse theÌ„ al Mary Megdalene found mercy sorecoverd the honour of each member but I speak odious the sin is in peculiar Let it therefore bee a second Meditation against it Thirdly meditate of that wofull seperation which it maks inwardly betwixt God and the soule Few see this But if union with God be the roote of all other Previledges and a restoring us to our integrity what then is seperation from him and cutting off from the fountain save a curse Now who so is one with an harlot is cut off from God For how can a man bee at once a member of an harlot and a member of Christ Know you not that who so is one with Christ is one spirit And what is he then who is one with an harlot Can he with and in the same spirit be united to one and to other at the same time Doth he not what lieth in himselfe to disjoynt himselfe for ever from God who is joined with an whore Is it so easy to unlinke the chayne of uncleannes and to be knit to God who is once enchained in the band of this sin Or can there be communion and influence mainteyned with God while fellowship continues with Harlots Is purenesse and filthines so easily reconciled A spirit of of holâ—ies with a spirit of Adulterie What communion betweene Christ and Beliall Or how can two walke together except agred If theÌ„ the spirit be sadded grieved what joy can it have to walke with the soule Where was Davids fellowship with God become when he had defiled himself with what a conscience thinke wee did he walke What peace joy going in and out with God had hee Or why doth he so crave for the spirit and for washing and renned grace save that he felt them withdrawne from him And if the Spirit of Christ be gone what is the Name of Christ and of Communion worth Perhaps many an Adulterer pleaseth himselfe in this that he is not yet cast out from the church But why is he not cast out Is Gods judgment changed Where then is that censure become of which Paul speaks of That ye beeing gathered together with my spirit in the Name of the Lord Iesus deliver such an one an uncleane wretch unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh that his soule may be saved in the day of the Lord Iesus Is not here solemne excommunication against uâ—dcleannes urged Neither let any cavill and say This was in a case of high degree of this sin For Gods netres take all open sinners in foule kindes bee the degrees what they what else meaneth that speech Withdraw your selves from every brother who walketh inordinately How Except by the censure excommunicating him from Communion of Sacraments and secret fellowship Thus once it was But the sin of man interverting the Censure disanulles not the Ordinance If such bee not cast out the greater is the shame of Neglecters and the offender hath the greater wrong And say that he bee not formally cast out by Discipline hath hee not really cast out himselfe by his Desert As he once sayde of his Bookes That they were published and they were not in effect for none could understand or be the better for them so say I. They are in Communion and they are not locally by intrusion not spiritually not by acceptation so that save for his pleasing himselfe sinfully he is never the better for it For why Doth not Conscience within tell him All who would thrive by the Ordinances must cast up their gorge So saith Peter Casting out all superfluity as new borne babes covet the sincere milk of the word to grow by And are not all things uncleane to the uncleane Doth not such a mans spirit say to him as God to Elya what dost thou here Elia Why takest thou my word pure as my selfe into thy mouth hating to be reformed Minister into thy mouth hearer into thine eares beeing both in thy body and spirit polluted Can wrath or doubting as the same Apostle speaks hinder the lifting up of pure hands and must not an uncleane conscience much more Can such a swine comming into the Assembly to Sermon or Sacrament thinke himselfe to bee in his place Doth he not tell himselfe a Stewes an whores bosome are fitter for thee then such a place as Gods house Now if outward Communion which yet many a sinner will buy with his mony or thrust himselfe into boldly bee so unproper for him what then is Communion with the Graces of God with his Saints with the Duties of both Tables Hath such an one any joy in his soule peace with God delight in his Service exercise of graces as seale faythe meeknes compassion patience Or can he lay claime to an holy example Are not these irkesome objects to such more fit to teare them in peices to thinke themselves cut off then to comfort them So then let this bee a meditation of great weight to gaster the soule from all uncleannesse or to humble it beeing fallen to consider what a Gulfe it sets betweene the Lord and the soule so that one cannot come at the other And woe bee to him that is alone All ordinances all duties all graces speaking thus to him If God helpe not how can I helpe thee with the Barne or the winepresse Influence being wanting presence gone what can second comforts availe Doe not all issue from union with the head Doe not all Conduit-comforts rise and fall with the fountaine Except then thou carest not for God for his spirit or Christ beware of uncleannesse For that laies-all Channels of the spirit dry embarrens the soule of all heavenly savour making it as carelesse to have it as it is empty of it And these three may serve for a short discription of the nature of this sinne and how wee may derive Arguments from thence to deterre us from it Now to the penalties Touching which they are either spirituall or outward For the former the Reader may partly gather what the spirituall burthen is which God lates upon it by that which before I said of the nature of it For if it be so defiling and hardning a sinne and so seldome is found in the way of repentance who should not be afraid of it Who is so stupid as seeing a drove of Adulterers going towards the den of the Dragon the Divell I meane with their foresteps and observing
God 1 Tim. 2. 11. â—2 How far the wife may undertake the service of God in her family Yâ—t with Cautions Caution 1. Women denied this libertie must be pacient Exod. 21. 6. 2. Branch Of practice Matter of the world Limitations of subjection in worldly things Prov. 31. May the woman of her selfe give to Charitable uses Ordinarily she may not But in some cases she may In publique miseries of the Church Decision of the doubt 3. Branch Her subjâ—ction in marriage converse manifold In Attyre 1. Pet. 3. 3. In gesture and composition of body Domesticall Converse must be subject Rom. 12. Matt. 11. 30. Shee must hee subject abroad In her tongue and Company Subject â— In point of Nurâ—ery Ruth 4. 16. Admonition Shun Rebel Iron Exod. 4. 25. 1. Cor 7 10. Exhortation of wyves to subjection The second speciall Duty of the wife helpfulnesse Gen. 2. 18. Wherein stands this vertue of helpfulnesse In 3 Branches In Gods matters Impudency of usurping women in matters of God eaxed Joel 2. 28. Admonition to all usurping women in matters of God Conditions of modest wives in actâ—ng of Gods matters Judg. 13. 23. Sam 1. 25. 2. Generall Helpfulnesse in matter of estate described Prov. 31. Wives must not have any peculiar wealth apart from their husbands but in common 1. Tim. 3 1. 2. If they desire any stroake in dispensing the matters of the husband they must deserve it by good carriage Three branches of womans providence Act of Providence to bring somewhat in Pro. 31. Women must bee their husbands storers and Treasurers Matt. 13. â—2 Is her Dispensing Provident wives right hand must not know what their left doth â— King 3. Act. 19. 35. Admonition to the wife against this Evill Eccles 7. Branch 3 Of the womans providence in the conjugall life It stands in sundry particulars To his person Soule Iob 2 9. Act. 5. 5. 1 Kings 18. To his health of body His good Name His family In al difficulties Bearing hardship Reproofe What kind of helpers wastfull wyves are Exâ—â—rtation Encouragement to helpfull wives The third peculiar duty of the wife gracefulnesse Wâ—vâ—s must be graâ—â—ous and gracefull What gracefulnesse is Two things in this Matter of it Grace Humility 1 Pet. 3. 4. Selfe deniall Iudges 4. 21. Faith For the truth of it 2. Pet. 1. 2. 2. Theâ—â— 3. 2. For the life of â—t Esai 63. 3. Heb. 11. Grace Innocency Zeale and prety 1 King 17. 9. Luke 8. 3. Mens hearts not generally so tendet and zealous as womens if they be right Grace Mercy and Compassion Math. 25. 36. Act. 9. â—6 Confidence with others 1. Pet. 3. 5 6. Forme is temperature of them Is the sweete union of all into one compound Act. 22. 28. Vse of this point Instruction Dâ—fference of Couples wherin it stands Cant. What a bad gracelesse wife is Admonition Gracefull wives must expâ—esse it to then husbands Husbands that are happy in the grace of theâ—r wives must returne the like Generall uses of the whole greatise Reproofe and Admonition to good Couples Branch 1. Look out and compare your lot with others Condole the unhappines of others R. R. of I. K. And bee hâ—mbâ—â—d Ioh 21. 18. Guide others to good Choice 2. King 7. Branch 4. Exhortation to live love and leave 1 Cor. 7. 21. Eccles 2. 5. Instruction Marriage is a shadow of that spirituall un oÌ„ of Christ and the Church In their meetings and marriage And how Their mutual Converse What Christis â—o the Church What shee is to him Conclusion of the Treatise Preamble to the Appendix Why the latter part to this Text is handled God deales wite his owne by Iudgments Heb. 12. ult Nah. 1. 3. Nahum 1 3. Habac. 3. 19. Mica 7. ult The godly have a slavâ—sh part in them and free 1. Cor 6. 10 1â— Eph. 5. 6. 1. Thess 4. 6. Adultery a great sin God will have all uncleannes layd open in her colors as odious Mal. 3. 5. Digression shewing that fornication is a great sin Act. 15. 1. Pet. 4. 34. Homil. 22. in 2. ad Corinth Homil. 12. ad popul Antioch In 1. ad Corin homil 1. 18. Gregor Nâ—ssen 〈◊〉 1. ad Corinth Tertull de pudâ—â—t cap. 1. Reason why Vncleannesse is a very neer naturall Corruption Men are prone to blanch over this sin 1. Cor. 10. This sinne inchanâ—eth and bribeth the judgement Jude 10. Adultery is very full of colours and excuses to hide it selfe under Eithâ—r for pâ—evention or sâ—opping of mouth That sensuality might have strong disswasives Gods judgements against it Branch 1. Mat. 1. 19. Gods deerest servants not exempt from this generall sentence 1. Pet. 4. 18. Branch 2. The of-spring of the Adulterer excluded from the Tabernacle many ages Branch 3. Old Penalty of Adultery death without remedy Numb 5 18. 19. Branch 4. Severe judgments executed upon Adulterers Both in Scripture Num. 25 7. 8. And in experience Branch 5. Marks of wrath â—pon Soule Name When as men have failed God hath struck in 1 Pet. 1. 18. Marke 3. Beggery Marke 4. Coherence of uâ—cleannesses Marke 5. It s the Divels nest egg 2 Sam. 11. c. Marke 6. Marke 7. The body Prov. 5. 10. 11. 〈…〉 the uncleare Pro. 26. 19. Admonition to all uncleaneâ—nes Deface not Gods way To prevent the sinne Conclusion of it 2. King 10. 3. 4. 5. Rev. 2. 14. 2 Sam. 10. 12 Instruction to be subdued by t'â—ererrors of God Mark 13. 37. Fotward professors beware of his snare Profession cannot dispence with this sinne 1 Cor. 10. 10. Exhortation Councells three First Counsel Abhorring somewhat Thyne owne selfe Things to be abhorred Thoughts of Contemplative uncleannes Iames 4. 8. Things to be abhorred Colors and Excuses of it All inward fomenters All outward temptations Second Counsell Meditate of sóme what 2. Properties of it 1. It must be wise Psal 51. 2. Propertie It must be deepe about the properties and penâ—dties Of the â—pâ—â—itu â—â—nesse of this sinne Steps of spirituall sinne An evâ—ll heart Evill workes Unbeleefe Iona. 2. 8. Ioh. 3. 9. Delusion and defilemen Hardnes of heart Departing from the living God 1. Tim. 1. Things to be meditated of the peculiarnefle of this sin That other sins are out of the body but this is as it were within it Seperatâ—s from God 1. Cor. 5. And from the Church by Excommunication either inflicted or deserved The spirit of God Excommunicates him in the Court of his owne Conscience Secondly he must meditate of the penalties of this sin In word Awofuâ—l gidâ—y druâ—kâ—nnes disabling the Sinner from repenting A fearefull example of a debauched Adulteâ—er urged M. Bol. Meditation of the temporall penalties of uncleannâ—sse Third Counâ—â—ll Pâ—â—câ—sing of somewhat Whom this coâ—cernes especially Viz. 2. Sorts Such as are guilâ—y of it onely 1. Branch Adulterers ought to humble themselves for it Luc. 1. An â—bâ—â—sement under the mighâ—y hâ—nd of God They must gather hope out of the promise to pardon it See and consider Jerem. 3. 2. 3. Branch 3. Gâ—orâ—fie God in the confession of it This is as their bringing of their curiot's books and burning them Act. And why Agravation oâ— sinne needfâ—â—â— for uncleane Penitents Set before thine eies the promises Ier. 3. 2. 3. The second Beleeve the promise Esay 64 5. Hereby thy heart must be changed from it and part with it Branch 5. Sue out the destroying power of sin from Christ Return to the Lord in chastity for ever The second generall in practice for such as have revolted to it againe 1 Counsell What such are to do 2 Counsell 3 Counsell 4 Counsell 5 Counsell 6 Counsell 7 Counsell John 2 Cor. 7. 8 Counsell 9. Counsel 10. Counsel Caveat Magistrates to whom this work belongs must looke strictly to the Censure of God â—er 15. 19. Jonah 2. 8. 9.
just yea thy deserting of my spirit cutting off my daies and sending me into the hottest place of hell had beene little enough for me But oh if thou shalt wash this spot away and cleanse me with hyssop I shall be whiter then the snow what I am is not the thing confusion belongs to me for it it s all I can plead But there is mercy with thee that thou maist bee feared and some little hope hath opened my heart to confesse my sinne as rather relying upon thy word then upon my owne feares that thou wilt deale rigorously and of mine owne mouth as thou moughtst condemne mee Fourthly thou must not thus walke onely with thy Penance fagot upon thy shoulders and the sheet of thy shame upon thy back as one shut out and excommunicated from the Assemblies upon whose face thy father hath spit But thou must set before thine eyes a double promise One this That if the Lord shall once accept thee all thy former sins shall never bee so imputed as to cast thee off Looke that place in Jeremy full of Comfort If an harlot be divorced from her husband shall he returne to her any more No surely But loe thou Adulterer thou harlot you have defiled the Bâ—d which I made Honorable yet I will deale better with you returne and I will accept you sayth the Lord And what upon thaâ— Surely it shal bee with thee in my accompt as if thou hadst never sinned The Lord will open to such a fountaine for sin and uncleannes This may seeme as a cable to the eye of a Needle such mercie for so gracelesse a wretch yes bee encouraged for the Lord lookes not at the greatnesse of the sin if thy Traytors heart distrust him not but at the expression of his owne grace and getting himselfe a name in pardoning it that where sin hath abounded grace might abound much more A dog will catch at this moisell and poison himselfe for he will sin to try a conclusion But this must not east off a poore penitent soule who hath sinned alreadie and beene carried by the streame of his Sensuality Neither must an hypocrite be bolstred nor yet the grace of God to his own frustrate And secondly consider What thou hast beene the Lord lookes not at he beholdes thee in his Son as washed purified therfore wil bee honored even by these members which have most served the lusts of thy uncleannes The Lord delights to see it so if once the property bee altred Witnesse Mary Magdalene so highly honored by Christ to bee the first witnesse of his Resurrection and so enrolled in the book of God that wheresoever the Gospell should come her Name should be honorable How did our Lord Iesus admit her to come to his body and with those eyes handes wherewith shee had beheld embraced those tresses and forelocks which had allured so many uncleane lovers yet he was content to be washed annointed and wiped what exceeding love is this thus to restore an Adulterer to his blood and to entertayne him to that dignity and service which he had forfeited Try thine owne heart in this Case no other Medicine save this made of the blood of Christ can satisfy for thy sin nor wash off the guilt and stayne of it Beleeve this promise apply this blood and this wil bee a true seed of abhorring it for ever Fayth will carry thee to the Crosse of the Lord Iesus tell thee thus I have seene him bleed and breath out his last conflict with wrath and overcome it for the full expiation of thy uncleannes if it could have overcome him thou hadst lost the day for ever but seeing he got the victorie thy sin shall not damne thee so long as he prevailed against death and hell for thee Christ onely can make a divorce between thee and thy sin Till he shed his pretious blood in the defiance of sin the soule and sin could never be made Enemies Onely death which separated his soule and body asunder can divide them If then thou seekest no other morrall shifts nor carnall Popish waies of abhorring this sin at least dost rest in no other all is well Thou takest a sure course to part with it for ever I Come in therfore and claspe to this pardon offred thee in the promise sue it out and apply it to thy soule Perhaps thy base heart will chuse rather to lose it then to take it Gods way But consider since God will not stoope to thy way and there is but one way to come to him bee it never so unwelcome stoope to that way and come in Any way of thine own dawbing with untempered mortar will please thy flesh better then this But seeing in them thou must perish by this thou maist bee saved to use Esai's wordes in the promises there is continuance in the other lying vanity cleave to this and know this onely can satisfy God and change thy lepers skin therfore venture upon this If thou canst possibly perish in beleeving this perish yet know much more sure it is thou must perish except thou beleeve If thou like those nasty lepers sit still in the city die thou must no shift of it here thou mayst live value thy life at no greater rate then the life of a desperate man is worth if elswhere there were hope thou mightst shrug at it But worse then thou art thou canst not bee if thou finde more favour then thou deservest count it for a vantage But howsoever do not preferre assured death before hope of recovery nor lose it for venturing Fiftly rest not here neither but if more mercy be shewed thee then thou lookedst for for God is best to a sinner when he is past pleading then let this perswade thee to follow him for further Grace I meane when the guilt of thy Conscience is gone sue to him for Repentance for the mortifying and subduing the rage power defiling and snaring property of thy sin And begin with the roote kill there first begin not with Adoni-bezek at the fingers endes Christ stabbes the old man at heart first As himselfe told the Pharisee nothing which comes from without can defile the man But that which defiles the man comes from within From the heart proceed as other sins so uncleannes and all the fruits Therefore either purge the roote first or else let all alone Thou shalt fynde this a new worke Yet that faith which hath washt thy Conscience and inner man from guilt and feare and hell Can purge thee a second way from all slavery to thy lust Mercy will act the part of a Priest it will both set an eternall oddes betweene thee and thy lust And it will mortify thy Concupiscence dayly till it be quite dead It will trvely set thee on mourning Truely worke thee to an hearty indignation against thy selfe It will teath thee the art of sinne detesting which no wit of man no skill of